Gone, But Not Forgotten
by Snodin
Summary: Hikaru wakes up one morning to discover that he is an only child... and always has been. (Based loosely on the 2004 film "The Forgotten.")
1. Lost

**.**

**NOTE:_ The following fanfic is loosely based on the 2004 film, _"The Forgotten,"_ starring Julianne Moore. There will be slight spoilers for the film, though most of the story has been altered for the Ouran Universe. Seeing the film isn't recommended for this fic, but it is encouraged. Thank you._**

**-Snodin**

.

On the third floor of Japan's prestigious Ouran High School, where only the richest and most prominent students study, one would find Music Room 3 at the end of a long hall with walls painted pink and gold. Behind its ivory white doors: a gentle gust of rose petals, followed by the warm faces of seven quirky but lovable teens who are ready to serve and entertain you:

**Tamaki Suou**\- The Host King; eccentric and yet charming, he keeps the guests coming.

**Kyoya Ootori**\- The "Shadow King," always working behind the scenes for the club.

**Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka**\- the strong, silent type; a devoted cousin/ bodyguard/ adviser to Hunny.

**Mitskuni "Hunny" Haninozuka**\- Mori's cousin, loves the Host Club as much as he loves sweets. Oh, who are we kidding? He loves sweets more.

**Hikaru Hitachin- **The impish prankster of the group. Though, I thought for sure there was one who looked just like him...

And **Haruhi Fujioka**\- a kind and patient young man...who's really a girl in disguise.

Welcome to the **Ouran High School Host Club**.

.

"**GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN"**

**Snodin**

.

**Hikaru and Kaoru- Age 4.**

_Kaoru vanished. Or so it seemed._

_Young Hikaru searched high and low in his family's mansion, which for a four year old felt less like a house and more like a labyrinth. For nearly half an hour, he ran through every room, looking under chairs and tables and in closets for his slightly younger brother. But wherever he searched, he came up empty. _

"_Kaoru? ...Kaoru, where are you?" he cried out wherever he went, but no one answered. By the time he came to the main dining hall, he started to get scared._

"_Kaoru," he said in a weakened voice, while fighting back the growing lump in his throat. "Kaoru, if you're hiding, please come out! ...Please, Kao?" Silence._

_He scanned the table and underneath it, and found nothing. Feeling hopeless, he dropped to his knees and began to brush tears out of his eyes. That's when a pair of tiny hands grabbed him behind._

"_Boo!"_

"_GAH!" screamed the toddler, jumping to his feet and out of his skin. He darted around to find his identical twin giggling impishly at him. Apparently, the younger Hitachiin was playing a game of hide and seek, without his brother knowing it._

"_You should have seen the look on your face," giggled Kaoru. "It was priceless!" He paused to laugh at his antics with eyes tightly shut, but when he opened them he finally noticed that his brother was short of breath and his body trembling. "...Hikaru? ...Hika, what's wrong?"_

_His bottom lip shaking, young Hikaru choked. "Don't... don't scare me like that... I thought you were gone for good."_

_Confused by his brother's reaction, young Kaoru tilted his head like a puppy dog. "I was only playing."_

"_Don't. ...Don't do that, Kao. ...I got scared. I thought..." He could no longer speak, as the air in his lungs tightened so hard that he let out a sob. Ashamed of himself, the toddler covered his tear-streamed face with his hands._

_Kaoru's heart sank; never did he expect his brother to be so distraught. He thought for sure he was going to laugh- or at the very least, punch him in the shoulder. But not this. He never expected this._

"_Aw, Hika... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it." Quickly, he embraced his brother, who rested his little head on Kaoru's shoulders. "I promise, I'll never scare you like that again."_

_Hikaru returned the embrae, and there they stayed in that position for a good five minutes. Just long enough for their tremors to settle, and their bond to deepen._

..

..

**Present Day.**

At sixteen years old, Hikaru was now waking up from a deep sleep from the night before. Sunlight beaming from the window beside his bed hit his face, warming him. And though he wasn't exactly a morning person, he appreciated the sun's warm rays and the chirping of birds outside. His golden eyes fluttered open, aimed at the open window. _'...That's strange',_ he thought to himself; he never recalled opening the window last night. It was nearing summertime, but he couldn't recall the night being warm enough to need outside air. But he shrugged it off almost as quickly as it came to mind.

He rolled to his side to coax his twin awake, but was met with open space. His eyes snapped open this time in surprise. Kaoru wasn't there. This concerned Hikaru greatly, as the brothers almost always woke up together. It soon became clear that the sun was high in the sky; did he oversleep? Was Kaoru already dressed for school and waiting for him? If so, then why didn't he wake him up sooner? As these thoughts flooded his sleepy brain, he yawned deeply.

He then sat up and began to crawl to the edge of the bed, which was actually a lot closer than he remembered. His legs fell over the side and his bare feet touched cold floor. How was this possible, he wondered? He was clearly sleeping by the wall with the open window, and this was a queen-sized bed, wasn't it?

...No. No, it wasn't. His head scanned the bed's shape and realized that it was only big enough for one person: himself. Now that was odd, odder than the open window and the absent brother. How did the bed's size change overnight, and while he was sleeping in it?

.

He was running late for school, that much was certain. He ran down the stairs to the main floor dressed in his school uniform and blaster with his tie only half knotted. He struggled to fix it while not dropping the books that were pressed against this ribs by his arms. He hurried to the living room where he was greeted by two dark haired twin maids.

They bowed before him. **"Good morning, young Master,"** they spoke in perfect unison.

"Morning," he huffed. "No time for breakfast, girls. I gotta run. Did you see my brother?"

They paused, their mouths slightly, opened as though his words stunned them. **"Your... brother?"**

Hikaru sighed. Kaoru must have gone to school early to study up on that math test at the last minute. That at least explained his absence from the mansion. He would have to catch up to him later. "Girls?" he called to the twin maids as he made the final knot in his school tie.

"Yes, young Master?" they chirped in unison.

"Did Kaoru say anything about switching up our sleeping arrangements last night?"

The lookalike maids exchanged confused looks on their China doll faces. **"Kaoru?"**

"Never mind, I'm late as it is. I'll ask him about it at school. Take care." With that he made a quick exit out the front door.

The China dolls remained puzzled. **"Who's Kaoru?"**

..

..

Hikaru arrived ten minutes late to his first class, but that was the very least of his worries. Nevermind the eyes staring at him as he came running in, nearly stumbling over himself; nevermind the teacher's look of annoyance on his face. No, the one thing that caught Hikaru Hitachiin off guard was the fact that his brother's seat was empty. He froze in place, just inches from his own desk, staring blankly at the seat to Haruhi's right.

"Hitachiin!" snapped the teacher. "Take your seat, you're disrupting the class!"

"Yes, teacher," he spoke in a soft voice. He took to the seat on Haruhi's left, which is where he preferred to sit so that both he and his brother- if he were there- could be equally close to their favorite Commoner.

And of course, the Commoner was less than thrilled with his dramatic entrance. She narrowed her eyes as he began to stare in her direction. This went on for nearly the whole class until finally she whispered, "What's with you? Why're you looking at me funny?"

"...Haruhi?" he peeped sheepishly, his eyes now as tiny as dots on his scrunched up face.

"Yes?"

"...You didn't happen to see Kaoru earlier, have you?"

Her dark brown eyes turned to his in wonder. "...Kaoru?" Her tone was curious and almost puzzled, as though she didn't understand his question.

He elaborated. "Kaoru. This tall. This wide. Same face. Have you seen him this morning?"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Sorry, Hikaru. I don't know who you're talking about."

Now his eyes grew three times as big, almost irisless, and his mouth gaped wide open. Did Haruhi Fujioka, the most no-nonsense person to ever walk the earth- just _**deny**_ knowing his twin brother? How absurd!

"You... You don't mean that."

"Quiet, Hikaru. I'm trying to listen to the teacher," she hushed with a look of annoyance.

But his face remained stuck in that pose, as his body began to tremble uncontrollably. This was a joke. It had to be. There was no way any of this could be real. It just made no sense.

"Hitachiin!" called out the teacher, who was now becoming distracted by the boy's dropped jaw and bulging eyes.

"S-sir?" peeped the boy as his face reverted back to normal.

"Quit goofing off and pay attention, unless you have something very important to say."

Hmm, now there was an opportunity. Perhaps this was his chance to address the class on the matter of his missing brother. But if it turned out that the whole class was in on this little prank, then he'd look like a fool for sure. Nevertheless, he was getting desperate. Someone _had_ to know where Kaoru was. Someone _had_ to tell him.

Hikaru stood up and announced loud and clear, "If anyone in this classroom knows where my twin brother is, let them speak now or forever hold your peace."

Silence.

"...Okay, hold your peace all you want, but I'm gonna start butting some heads if nobody tells me where he is!"

"Hitachiin!" growled the teacher, as he whacked his yard stick onto his desk. "That is quite enough! Now sit down before I send you to the principal's office!"

Hikaru grit his teeth as he reluctantly sat down.

"Really, Hikaru," said a frustrated Haruhi in a whisper. "Why are you acting like this?"

"Because," he whispered back, "_somebody_ is obviously trying to mess with my head. And when I find out who it is..."

"Just stop. There_ is _no Kaoru, you _have_ no brother. You _never did_. Now quit playing around and pay attention."

No, this was too much. He couldn't be hearing all of this from her. **Not. Her. **He balled his fists until they started to hurt, then jumped back onto his feet and screamed, "HOW COULD YOU, HARUHI? HOW COULD YOU OF ALL PEOPLE PLAY ALONG WITH THIS CRUEL JOKE?" Before anyone could respond, the boy ran out of the classroom, leaving all of them stunned.

..

..

For the rest of the school day, Hikaru went into hiding, searching the gardens, halls and bathrooms for any signs of his brother. Surely he was snooping around, laughing at his twin's hapless attempts to find him. And yet, this all seemed too cruel, even by Kaoru's standards. He couldn't believe that his beloved twin, whose side he was by since conception, would even think to plan out such a scheme. ...And _why_? Why would he do this? Had Hikaru hurt him somehow? Was this some sort of revenge act? And if so, for what? He couldn't recall hurting Kao's feelings recently. Sure, they've teased each other from time to time, but that was nothing new. Something was off. Very, very off.

All day, he found no evidence of Kaoru, not even a hair. And he would know, because only the two of them had blood-orange hair. But now it was nearly time for the Host Club's hours. Surely there, the whole scheme of "Mess With Hikaru All Day" would reach full circle.

..

..

Weakened from running around the halls all day, Hikaru slumped into Music Room 3 and was greeted by Hosts and guests alike, all staring at him with looks of concern and wonder.

"There you are," called out the club's leader. Tamaki Suoh approached the tired Hitachiin boy and helped him straighten up. "Your guests were wondering if you've skipped school today."

"I'm here, Boss. I'd never disappoint the ladies." Hikaru's tone was less than stellar; he looked like he could pass out from exhaustion.

"Well go on then," ordered Tamaki, giving the boy a friendly push forward. "They're right over there by your favorite spot."

Hikaru slowly walked by Haruhi's couch, who tried to avert her eyes but one could tell that his presence sent shivers down her spine.

Everyone else looked normal: Kyoya was in his corner writing in his little black book, Hunny was scarfing down cake with three girls, and Mori was nearby looking as stoic as ever. At least they were just as he remembered them, he thought to himself.

Sure enough, his guests were sitting down at the very same spot that he and Kaoru normally took. As he sat down, he felt a familiar air as though everything was right in the world... except, it wasn't. Kaoru was still missing. This made him frown deeply.

"Aww," purred one of his lady friends, "what's wrong, Hikaru? Who do you look so sad?"

Suddenly, a thought came to the desperate Hitachiin: the girls! They would never play a cruel trick on him because they were his most loyal and most honest of creatures. They would do or say anything to make him smile. "Listen, ladies," he began to whisper as he leaned toward them. "I know I've been acting weird all day, but that's only because everyone else has been playing a cruel game on me."

"Oh no," frowned the second guest. "Why would they do that?"

"Beats me. But listen, I need you girls to give it to me straight."

"What, Hikaru?" they all cooed.

"...Tell me where my brother is."

There was a long pause as the girls exchanged confused looks. But then one of them smiled, "Oh, of course! Your brother! He... Well, he... um..."

"He's on a secret mission," smiled the first guest. "He told us not to tell you, he doesn't want us to spoil the surprise."

For a moment, it worked; Hikaru looked relieved and even breathed a content sigh... But then he realized: those girls would say _anything_ to make him smile. It was as though they were as obligated to his happiness as he was to theirs. He gave them an almost evil glare. "You're lying."

"Wha?" gasped the girls in fright. They even sat back to give themselves distance from him.

"Why would we lie to you, Hikaru?" frowned the second lady guest.

"Because," he said darkly, "you think I'm playing around. You think this is some kind of game. Well it isn't. My brother is missing, and nobody will tell me where he is."

The glare in his golden eyes and the dark tone in his voice made the girls shiver. This caught the attention of Tamaki, who quickly dashed over to the table and asked, "Is everything alright, my princesses?"

"Cut the crap, Boss." Hikaru took to his feet, now looking even more frustrated that even Tamaki was taken aback by it. "No one seems to know who Kaoru is- not these girls, not Haruhi..."

"Who?" blinked a confused Host King.

"Not even YOU." Hikaru gnashed his teeth and balled his fists. He looked like he was about to go for Tamaki's throat, when suddenly a deeper voice from the far corner caught him off guard:

"Hikaru, come here." It was Kyoya, the Shadow King. His tone of voice was as ice-cold as ever, and even Hikaru seemed relieved by that.

The Hitachiin boy walked over to Kyoya's small table while grabbing a free chair, then sat in front of the raven-haired sophmore.

"What seems to be the problem here, and why are you scaring your own guests?"

"Kyoya-Senpai..." He took a deep, shaky breath. "...You'll level with me, right? You'd never be in one some cruel joke... Could you please tell me what's going on around here? Why does no one seem to know who Kaoru is?"

Kyoya glanced at the boy's shaky frame and his sad, droopy eyes. Surely this was no joke, the boy was clearly upset. But what else could he say but the cold, hard truth? "Hikaru... There is no Kaoru."

His blood ran cold. "No. No, that can't be. S-Senpai... please don't say that... Not you."

Calmly, Kyoya reached into the drawer under his desk and pulled out a catalog. "Here," he explained as he held it out to the Hitachiin. "This is a collection of photos my group has taken in the past few months. I've been saving them for the end of the year. Have a look yourself."

With a trembling hand, Hikaru took the catalog and recognized the front cover. It was the whole gang: him, Tamaki, Kyoya, Mori, Hunny, Haruhi... but no Kaoru. He stared at it in disbelief; he clearly remembered taking that photo with Kaoru by his side! And as he flipped through the pages, even more horrifying evidence revealed itself:

From October 30th: a photo of Hikaru's team being crowned the school's Biggest Scardey Cats. No Kaoru.

From December 15, a few days before winter break: the club's Christmas ball. No Kaoru.

From February 14, Valentine's Day: the club's annual rose gala. No Kaoru.

From March 24, White Day: the club's white chocolate fest. No Kaoru.

From April 10: the club's spring welcoming gala. No Kaoru.

In fact, all of the pages featuring the red headed Hitachiins had only one of them, Hikaru. Wherever Kaoru would have been standing and posing, there was nothing but background. And the strangest and most frightening part yet was the fact that the photos showed no signs of being cut, erased, blotched, or blurred. They were in perfect condition. It was as though Kaoru... was never there.

Hikaru's golden eyes began to water. "...this... this is impossible... he was here. And there. And over here... He was in all of them... how... HOW DID YOU EDIT HIM OUT?"

His scream shook the whole club, though it was aimed directly at Kyoya.

The freshman seized the sophmore by his suit collar and began to shake him violently. "WHY, SENPAI? WHY DID YOU TAKE MY BROTHER OUT OF THESE PICTURES? WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR GAME HERE?"

"Hikaru!" gasped Haruhi in horror.

"Hika-chan!" echoed Hunny as he hid behind his tall cousin in fear.

Most of the guests at this point were hiding behind Tamaki as if his thin frame could act like a shield.

"Where is my brother, Kyoya-Senpai? Where? Tell me! ...TELL M-"

It was Mori who took direct action; he walked up to Hikaru during his outburst, and before the redhead saw him coming, he instantly put him in a sleeper hold. Hikaru struggled and screamed before losing air, then consciousness.

..

..

Hikaru woke up with a throbbing headache. That was the first thing he felt; the next thing was the softness of the mattresses on his back. His eyes fluttered open, and glanced up at the ceiling of his living room. He looked downward and saw that he was lying on the couch in said room. When and how did he get home, he asked himself?

"Hikaru, dear." He knew that voice. It was as soft and sweet as ever.

"Mom?" he muttered weakly, lifting his head to look around the room. He found her, along with his father, Tamaki, Kyoya and Haruhi standing by. "Dad. Guys. What happened?"

Mr. and Mrs. Hitachiin approached him, his mother helping him sit up on the couch before taking the seat next to his. "We were wondering the same thing, sweetheart," she said sadly. "Your friends told us what happened at school."

"Son," peeped the boy's scared father. "What's going on with you?"

He looked at his mother, then his father. He felt lost. "I..." He hung his head low and placed his hands over his face. "I don't know... I feel like I've woken up in an alternate dimension where my brother doesn't exist."

His parents looked to each other, looking deeply concerned. "Hika, sweetie," his mother frowned, "you... you were always our only son. We have proof, see for yourself."

The boy's father placed a few flat papers on the boy's lap, forcing him to look down on them. The first one was his birth certificate, which made him cringe. There were only two baby footprints, not four; there was only one Hitachiin name, not two. And that was just the first item; the next were about the same: medical documents of one Hikaru Hitachiin from his earlier years.

His mother upped the ante with a pink overed photo album and carefully showed him each page. "These are all of the pictures I've taken of you in my first few clothing lines. You remember these, don't you?"

He stared down at them, seeing only his face. Only his. Never Kaoru's. This is when it hit him hard: Kaoru was gone. These pictures or those records proved it once and for all, as he could tell that they couldn't possibly be altered. The records were all worn, the baby photos worn as well.

Kaoru was truly gone.

No, he wasn't just gone. He was non-existent.

"My poor son," lamented Mrs. Hitachin as she began to gently rub his back. "I don't know what made you think you had a brother, but you have to know the truth. There is no Kaoru. He exists only in your mind."

It hurt. It hurt so badly, like a knife drilling into his soul. The boy closed his eyes and placed the records and photo album aside. He doubled over, letting his head rest on his legs. And he began to sob.

The boy's mother kept rubbing his back while whispering comforting words, while the Hosts nearby looked on with pity in their eyes. Most of all Haruhi, who now understood that the redhead wasn't pranking her at all. He was serious about having a brother; he truly and honestly believed it. And now... now he looked broken. And he was just that. Broken.

"...you don't... you don't understand..." the boy whimpered between sobs and sniffles while still hiding his face with his hands and legs. "...he's real... my brother is real, I know he is... He goes to my school, he's in the Host Club with me every day... we share the same room, the same bed... We're always together... always..."

Haruhi had to look away, as did Tamaki. They couldn't bear this anymore.

But Kyoya remained stilled and unemotional, like always. "If I may," he spoke up, catching the attention of Hikaru's parents. "It seems to me like Hikaru may have experienced some kind of recent trauma, and somehow the idea of having a twin brother is helping him cope with it. I know people who can give him a proper diagnosis."

"No," shot up Hikaru, glaring angrily at his superior. "I'm not crazy. I'm not!"

"Shhh, sweetie," coaxed his mother. "Please, just listen. Your friends are trying to help you."

"I don't care what these records say. I don't care what any of you say! Kaoru is alive- somewhere. I can't prove it yet, but I will. You'll see. Just give me some time to..."

"Son, please," begged his father. "You're not well. We all love you, and we're worried about you."

Hikaru struggled to stand, but he did. He started to walk toward the staircase, and once he heard his father call out, "Come back," he began to run. He darted up the stairs in defiance of his father's orders and presumably retreated to his room.

At a loss, Mr. Hitachiin sat beside his wife and the two of them embraced.

Kyoya stepped forward and apologized, "I'm sorry. I know I was being too forward with him. But I meant what I said; whatever he's going through, we can help him. It might take some time..."

"Please," said Mrs. Hitachiin in a shaky voice. "Do what you can for our son. We'll pay you in full."

"He's our friend," said Kyoya softly. "No price is too high for his health." His tone was sincere.

Eventually, the three teens left the mansion. But while Tamaki and Kyoya kept their eyes on the road ahead, Haruhi kept pausing to look back at the room, then the door, then the window of Hikaru's bedroom. Something kept calling her back.

..

..

Evening fell fast, but Hikaru was in for a sleepless night. Dressed down to his boxer shorts, he tossed and turned in his shrunken bed, still unable to accept that this was his reality. He knew he wasn't dreaming; he tested that theory earlier by pinching himself a few times and it hurt each time. But despite all of the evidence stacked against him earlier, he just couldn't find rest for he still believed that his twin brother still existed.

There was one other reason why he couldn't sleep: he overheard his parents talking to Kyoya about possibly sending Hikaru to a therapist that following morning. That was the last thing he needed, someone telling him that he was crazy, that Kaoru was just a figment of his imagination. It was hurtful and humiliating to think that nobody, not even his own parents, were on his side...

-**Tap!**-

He heard something smack his bedroom window. He didn't think much of it, until he heard another one. And another.

-**Tap! Tap!**-

Were those... pebbles? Curious, he opened the window and propped his head out, just in time for a fourth rock- one. Inter than the last three- to smack him in the forehead.

"Ouch!" he yelped. He rubbed his head; yep, still not dreaming.

"Oops!" squeaked the small voice of Haruhi, who was standing just outside and looking up at him from his bedroom floor. "Sorry, Hikaru."

"Haruhi?" he blinked a few times to check if he was wasn't seeing things. Nope, there was his favorite Commoner trespassing on private territory in the middle of the night. He was actually relieved to see her, as a broad smile swept across his face. He waved at her excitedly.

As she waved back, she half shouted, "I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Wait right there," he half shouted back with his index finger pointing outward. "I'll be right down. Meet me at the front door."

.

Minutes later, Haruhi waited patiently at the front door as planned, when the door creaked open and out popped Hikaru in his school pants and a white undershirt. "Hey," he smiled softly.

"Hey," she nodded. "Listen, I just wanted to say I'm... Well, I'm sorry, I guess."

"Why? I'm the crazy one, remember?"

She cocked her head. "Are you admitting it now?"

"No. You know what I mean."

"Not really."

"Eh, forget it." He sighed and brushed his wild hair with his fingers. "Point is, I still believe Kaoru's alive. I just can't prove it yet."

"I want to believe you, Hikaru, I really do... But... I've known you for nearly a year now, and I swear I've never seen Kaoru, at least not in person..."

"Haruhi... Have you ever believed in something so badly that it eats away inside of you?"

She shrugged. "I used to believe in a lot of things when I was little. Silly things, really."

He then held out his hands and placed them in hers. Then he spoke in a tone that almost sounded as smooth as the purr of a cat; "They say twins have a special connection with each other, like we can sense each other's presence even when we're far away... I can still feel him, Haruhi. You feel now warm my hands are? ...That's how I know he exists out there; sometimes my hands are warmer than usual because it feels like he's holding them."

She paused to examine his hands with her fingertips, and sure enough they were warm despite the chill in the night air.

"I know it sounds crazy, but I-"

"No... I believe you. I really do." Her big brown eyes met with his golden, easing his tension. "...I want to help you find him."

His eyes lit up with joy. "Really? You mean it?"

She nodded once. "Tomorrow morning, I'll call out sick from school. Then you and I can spend the day searching the mansion for clues. It's all we can do for now, but it might just work."

To her surprise, her whole body became enveloped in his embrace. She let out a gasp, but then her muscles loosened when she realized that he was hugging her out of gratitude. She let out a small contented smile.

"Thank you," he whispered behind tears. "Thank you so much, Haruhi. You have no idea what this means to me."

She gave his back a soft pat. "Hey, we're friends aren't we? That's what friends do."

He then released her while a wide joyful smile remained on his face. "Tomorrow then?"

"Yes," she nodded with a small smile.

They then bid each other goodnight, and the middle-class girl went on her way, leaving the high-class boy with a glimmer of hope.

..

..

Meanwhile, Hikaru and Haruhi were being watched.

A man with long, slick black hair and a pale complexion, with an elongated face and long, thin frame was watching the scene at the Hitachiin mansion unfold through a large rectangular monitor. All around him was white, except for a few other computers and screens.

A woman with a similar appearance walked up to him from behind and glanced up at the monitor. "...So, he remembers."

"Yes," frowned the man. "I was afraid this might happen. I thought we carried out everything to the letter, including erasing his memories."

"Perhaps this only proves our theory about their bond."

"Perhaps... but it would be simpler if I would just go back there while he slept and-"

"No. Let us keep monitoring him. We might learn something from this."

"What about the girl? What if _her_ memories come back?"

"That is not our concern, for now..." Her head turned to the left, gazing upon some other machanical object lined against the white wall. "Our subject is the boy," she said monotonously. "Whatever he does from here on out is our top priority."

The machine she began to stare blankly at was crescent-shaped and silver, reaching the ceiling from the ground, with a very large glass orb in its center. Inside the orb was pink liquid filled to the brim, and floating in the middle of this pink liquid was a young man of pale skin and wild blood-orange hair. He was wearing little more than a pair of boxer shorts, which he was likely sleeping in upon arrival. His eyes were tightly closed, as he was apparently in a deep, dreamless sleep, while a breathing apparatus covered most of his face.

He was the spitting image of Hikaru Hitachiin.

.

**TBC**


	2. Punished

.

**Hikaru and Kaoru- Age 9.**

_His life was over._

_He and his twin had snuck into their mother's art room, which was strictly off limits, because they had a sudden surge of inspiration. Their plan was to paint a picture for their parents, but they needed paint to do it. And they were certain that their mother had the tools of the trade, as she often sketched and painted her dresses before putting needle to thread. So the logical thing to do was to enter the room in which she drafted her outfits and "borrow" what they needed. That's when Hikaru dropped and spilled a bottle of pure ink onto the plush blue carpet._

_"Hikaru!" Gasped his twin in horror. "What have you done?"_

_"It was an accident," replied the equally terrified boy. His fears only grew with the sound of running heels._

_"Hikaru? Kaoru?" Their mother peered through the door. "How many times have I told you boys not to... MY CARPET!" Her hazel eyes bulged, her jaw dropped as air swelled her lungs. Both of her boys were standing by the pool of spilled ink, but only one of them was the culprit. Her burning eyes fell on each of them. "Which one of you did it?" This eyes fixed onto the boy on the right, who was trembling like a leaf in the wind. She was sure who he was: "Was it _you_, Hikaru?"_

_The boy took in a big gulp. This was the end of the line for him, of that he was certain. But just as he took a step forward, his brother took two. "It was me, Mom. I- I'm Hikaru."_

_Her eyes fixed on the boy on the left now. Truth be told, even she- their own mother- had a hard time telling them apart at times. But she was so sure she had it right this time, that when the other boy gave himself up, she was genuinely surprised. "_You_?"_

_He nodded. "Yes. I spilled the ink. I'm sorry."_

_The boy beside him grabbed his arm. "Kaoru..."_

_But the twin turned to him with a certain spark in his bright golden eyes. "It's okay, Kaoru. You don't have to cover up for me." Bravely, he looked back at his mother and stood straight and firm. "It was my idea to come in here. I accept full responsibility."_

_Convinced, though he lied, Mrs. Hitachiin turned to the first boy she pointed out. "Kaoru, go to your room."_

_"But," Hikaru started._

_But she cut him off. "Go!"_

_Defeated and unsure of what else to do, he looked back on his brother one last time before making a quick exit._

_._

_For young Hikaru, minutes felt like hours. He paced the floor of his bedroom, far too anxious to sit down and simply wait. What was she doing to his twin, he feared? Was he getting a paddling? Was he being grounded? Was he even alive? These thoughts and more swirled his head, making his heart race faster and faster with each passing minute._

_But then, the door creaked open. In peeked his twin's head, looking as pristine as ever._

_"Kaoru!" cheered Hikaru, who ran to his mirror image and embraced him tightly. "Are you alright? Did she punish you?"_

_Just as relieved as Hikaru was to see him, so too was Kaoru. He stood silent while his brother greeted him with a hug, letting him spill out his worries, before he finally answered, "I'm fine. Really. Just a harsh lecture this time."_

_"Thank goodness," smiled the elder twin, before giving Kaoru a firm pat on the back._

_And to that, Kaoru suddenly winced in pain. "...a little paddling, too."_

_Hikaru winced, knowing what that meant. He took a step back as a look of guilt and worry fell on his face. "I'm so sorry. ...It was all my fault, you didn't have to take the heat for me."_

_Kaoru smiled. "It's okay, I wanted to. I was worried what she'd do to you..."_

_The elder twin stood there, marveled at his brother's selflessness. For a moment, a brief one at that, wondered if he would have ever done the same for him. Maybe he would... Maybe._

_"Just, promise me one thing Hika?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Let's never sneak into Mom's art room ever again. Kay?"_

_Hikaru breathed a sigh. "Never again."_

_And indeed, they would never again enter any room in the mansion without permission. Or look at ink the same way._

..

..

**Present Day.**

One day had passed since Kaoru's disappearance, and for Hikaru that was far too much. As promised, Haruhi came over to his family mansion during the afternoon to search for any clues that would prove the twin's existence. However, while she took her time scanning everything from the furniture to the walls, Hikaru practically tore the place apart. Clothes were tossed to the floor, window drapes neaqrly pulled from their poles, dishes scattered on the tables, and countless other nick-nacks piled up on the floors. Still, nothing provided them with any insight. Hikaru was getting frantic.

"I've searched everywhere," he panted after running around from room to room. "Upstairs, downstairs, the adjacent entertainment rooms..."

Haruhi scratched her chin in deep thought. "What about the courtyard?"

"I looked there too," he confessed, and to prove his point he showed her his dirtied hands. "I pulled out all the flowerbeds in case something was buried there. By the way, remind me to pay my gardener extra later for the damage."

"Are you sure you've checked everywhere?"

His face paled. "...Well... There is one last place, but I've sworn to never go in there again. Mom would kill me."

"It could be our last shot," shrugged the girl.

"...You're right... You go first."

.

The room is question was, of course, the one his mother claimed as her main workshop. The place where she kept all of her most treasured clothes and fabrics, where she would sketch and later paint her inspirations. The place where a younger Hikaru got off scot-free from certain punishment after spilling a certain liquid onto a certain floor. Just peeking inside from the doorway made his skin crawl.

Haruhi breathed in. "Wow... It smells like paint in here."

"This is where my mom used to do most of her work," explained the redhead, "before she moved up to a studio. I haven't been in here in years... Be careful, watch your step. If anything breaks or tears-"

"I'll be careful," she promised, as Haruhi gingerly stepped inside.

Withg a tender step she tread across the room, past the small tables filled to the brim with various drawings, past the walls decorated in multi-colored inspirations, and over an old black stain on the plush blue rug. Until at last, she came to the closet and slowly opened it. Looking inside, she was met with rows of plastic-covered dresses and suits and was mesmerized. Carefully she brushed back each one until her dark brown eyes fell on a small yellow dress with a tag on its sleeve.

"Hikaru, come here! Quick!"

Hesitant at first, Hikaru hopped across the floor as though there were mines planted all around him, until he stopped by Haruhi's side. "What is it?"

"These old clothes... Did they belong to you and Kaoru?"

"No... Actually, this one does seem familiar... Oh, now I remember!" he grinned. "Back when we were little, Kaoru and I made our own sketches of dresses for Mom. She took her favorites and made them into outfits like these. Funny, I didn't know she kept them all these years."

Haruhi lifted the yellow dress' sleeve. "This one has a tag on it. Read the initials."

His golden eyes scanned the tag. "K. H."

"K... Your mother's name, does it start with K?"

"No," he gasped. "Her name's Yuzuha... Oh, my gosh. _Oh, my gosh! _This is it, this is Kaoru's design!"

"We found it," cheered Haruhi softly. "Now we just have to show this to your parents, and-"

"And they'll know I'm not crazy! Brilliant! Let's do it right now." Without a care, he ripped the dress from the rack, while maintaining its plastic covering.

.

A few hours later, Mrs. Hitachiin came home to a rather dissheveled home. While her maids and butlers did their best to clean up after her son, some clutter and opened cabinets still remained. But soon none of that mattered, as her son came careening across the room with the plastic covered dress in hand.

"Mother! Mother, come look! Here, I have proof that Kaoru's alive!"

The redheaded woman, still lost and confused by the state of her living room, watched with baited breath as Hikaru presented the yellow dress in hand. "Hikaru," she gasped, "where did you get this?"

"From your old workroom," he confessed, no longer fearful of consequence. "But look! It's got Kaoru's initials. See? Read the tag."

Her soft, hazel eyes scanned the white tag attached to the dress' sleeve. "...Hikaru... Why are you doing this?" she frowned solemnly.

"Because, Mom, he's real! Don't you see it?"

"Hikaru, sweetie, please. Just stop."

"But it's here. It's his initials, look!" He held the tag up to his own eyes to confirm what he saw.

Blank.

It was blank.

His jaw fell to the floor- not literally, but it may as well have. "...but... but, I saw it..." Still reeling from shock, his trembling hands nearly lost their grip on the dress, making it fall partly to the floor.

His mother cupped his chin with her hand, forcing him to gaze into her saddened eyes. "Hikaru, love, I'm really worried about you. You're going too far with this 'Kaoru' thing."

He took a step back. "Mom... I swear, it was there."

"Your father and I have talked to your friend Kyoya. He knows someone who might be able to help you."

"Mom! I'm not crazy! I swear it!"

"Please dear, I'm only looking out for what's best for you." She approached him, but he moved backward, looking quite timid.

"No, don't... Don't send me to a shrink, please! Please, Mom!"

"Just come here for a second."

"NO!" he dropped the dress completely, turned tail, and ran.

.

He ran as far as he could before his lungs started to hurt, which took him as far as the middle of the courtyard. He paused, doubled over and panted heavily before he heard footsteps coming up behind him. He turned around with a scream, "GAH!"

"Wait!" barked Haruhi, "it's me!"

"...Haruhi..." he breathed softly, relieved to see her and not his mother.

"What happened? I stepped out to let you talk to you mom."

"...She... She didn't see it. It disappeared."

"What?" she blinked.

"The tag. His initials. They're gone! ...You saw them, didn't you?"

She nodded quickly. "I saw them. I did, I saw 'K. H.'"

He nodded while still looking winded. "...You're the only one who believes me... I can't stay here, they think I'm going insane."

"Where will you go, Hikaru?"

"_Hikaru!" _shouted a familiar womanly voice in the distance. _"Hikaru, come back!"_

His eyes darted toward the mansion before they fell back on Haruhi's gentle face. "...Can I stay with you for a while? I promise, I won't be any trouble."

"_Hikaru?"_

Hearing the boy's mother's voice coming closer, Haruhi panicked for a moment. Without even realizing it, she nodded, "Okay. You can come home with me."

"Thanks," he sighed before taking her hand tightly. "Let's go!" He dragged her away.

His feet proved to be much faster than those of any butlers' or maids', because he was gone and out of sight within moments. Soon after that, his mother made a Missing Person's report to the authorities...

..

..

...which made headline news that evening. From her small and cramped apartment home, Haruhi watched with her father and their new houseguest as the boy's image appeared on the television along with a contact number for anyone who would find him.

Sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, Hikaru sighed deeply, his eyes half closed with fatigue. "I can't go home... Not until I find Kaoru."

Haruhi leaned back on her couch and frowned, "Even if we still had that tag, we wouldn't be any closer to finding him. We have no idea who could have taken him. Or why."

"Or where they'd be..." He bowed his head in despair.

"You're sure he's out there?" wondered Ranka, Haruhi's cross-dressing father. He didn't look nearly as skeptical as Hikaru's mother was earlier, but his tone made the boy's hair stand on end.

"If only there was some other clue I could find," pondered the boy out loud. Then a light switched on in his head. "The club."

"**The club?"** asked the Fujiokas in unison.

The redhead turned to them. "The Host Club; there's gotta be something there we can find. It's the only other place where Kaoru and I would go besides the mansion."

"But Hikaru," frowned Haruhi, "you can't just go back there, not with the police looking for you."

"I'll find a way to sneak in."

"This is getting dangerous," shook Ranka's head. "Haruhi, I don't want you to get mixed up in this."

"Dad, he's my friend."

"I know, but-"

"Haruhi... Your dad's right. It's bad enough I'm hiding out at your place..." The boy sighed grimly.

Ranka got up off the couch and offered, "I think we have a roll-up cot in the other room. I'll go get it."

.

Not loing after that, Hikaru was crawling into the small, flat bed with the thin grey blanket in the middle of the living room. He looked less than pleasant, since the mattress wasn't nearly as exquisite as his own back at the mansion. In fact, it was so flat that he swore his back was pressed up against the wooden floor. He grumbled to himself while shifting his limbs every which way before finally settling in.

Haruhi stood over him and watched, then as he pulled the blanket over himself she declared, "If you need anything, I'll be in the next room. Just holler, okay?"

He looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. "Kay." He saw her walking toward the doorway when he had the urge to say, "Hey, Haruhi?"

She stopped mid-step and looked back. "Yes?"

"Thanks... for putting up with me."

She gave him a small, almost snarky grin. "Don't I always?" Then she left him alone.

He watched her leave, looking as though he was admiring each step she took. She truly was one of a kind, he thought; any other person would have thrown him into a padded cell by now. But not her... Not her.

He sighed and tilted his head, forcing his eyes shut. Sleep would not come easy. But somehow, at some point in the middle of the night, sleep did come.

..

..

Ouran Academy, the following day.

Life for the Host Club was going swimmingly, with new guests arriving nearly every day. Though most of them were interested in meeting the resident "bad boy" Hikaru, who unfortunately skipped out of school to keep himself from being brought back home. The Hosts that were there did their best to entertain everyone, but soon enough the club ran out of liquid refreshments. Tamaki, the club's leader, took it upon himself to run down to the lunch room to ask the chefs for some milk and instant coffee.

As he came laboring back up the stairs to the third floor, he paused to catch his breath. That's when the corner of his eye spotted a dark figure creeping into a room not far from Music Room 3. This puzzled the Host King, as he recognized that particular room as the place where the club kept most of its costumes and props.

When he entered the room, which was originally a classroom but with all furniture replaced with coat racks and prop boxes, he put down the tray of refreshments and explored it quietly.

"...Hello? ...Is someone in here?" he bravely yet hushly asked.

To his surprise, there came a small "Psst!" in reply. "Hey. Boss."

Though it was soft, Tamaki recognized that voice instantly. "Hikaru?" He followed the voice to a coat rack, and when he pushed the costumes aside, he found whom he was looking for. The younger teen was shuffling through the clothes rather frantically. "Hikaru, what on earth...?"

"Boss," said Hikaru with a slightly louder tone, "I think I may have found a way to prove Kaoru's existence."

Tamaki sighed, "Hikaru, this has got to stop. First you hallucinate about having a twin, then you run away from home, and now you're rummaging through old costumes?"

But Hikaru's plan was more on the mark than the Host King realized, as the boy pulled out not one, but two multi-color kimonos. "Remember these?"

"Yes," nodded the blonde. "Those were part of the kimono sets your mother made, we were all wearing one as a sort of promotion of her new line."

"Well Boss, why are there two here that look exactly alike?"

"Pff, really Hikaru. We always keep copies of our stuff, in case someone accidentally ruins them."

Hikaru proved his point by briefly showing each kimono to his 'Boss.' "Here's yours. And Hunny-Senpai's, and Kyoya-Senpai's, and Haruhi's, and Mori's. Not one of them has a copy, only mine."

This came as a surprise to Tamaki, who pouted his lips without anything left to say.

"And over here," directed Hikaru as he moved to another clothing rack, "are the outfits for that 'Knights of The Realm' theme from a few months back. Here's yours, here's Kyoyoa-Senpai's, and look: two matching Musketeer outfits. ...Two."

"W-well... It's not my fault you're more accident prone than the rest of us!"

Hikaru narrowed his golden eyes at him.

"Alright, let's say you're right and there's a missing Host."

"My brother."

"Right. How is it that I, or everybody else for that matter, doesn't remember him? How is that possible?"

"Whoever took him somehow got inside all of our heads and erased all of our memories about him."

Tamaki looked intrigued, but he still wasn't buying it. "Uh-huh?"

"And maybe- just maybe- they tried to erase all of my memories too, but they failed because my connection with him is just that strong. And it makes sense, because Kaoru and I hardly ever leave each others' sides... Except for that one time."

"What time?"

"That time you and Nekozawa scared the pants off us during Halloween. Remember that?"

Tamaki paused to remenisce. "...Hmm... Heh, yes I remember. I was dressed as the ghost witch, or something like that."

"Right. Well while we were running, Kaoru and I split up and went two different paths. That's one time I can recall when we weren't right there for each other."

"Really? You were that close?"

"So close, that hardly anybody could tell us apart. We used to play this silly guessing game called-"

"Which One Is Hikaru..." Those words came out of Tamaki's mouth almost as though something otherwordly pulled them from his lips. And that's when he remembered...

_There was a letter about to be torn by a pair of small, pale hands, when suddenly his voice cried out: "The one about to tear the note is Hikaru!" The two boys watched in shock as a slightly younger Tamaki appeared from behind a column, as he had been spying on the twins for some time._

_The boy holding the letter looked dumbfounded. "How... How did you guess that?"_

_Tamaki simply smiled, "Intuition..."_

"Intuition... I remember that," smiled Tamaki, as his eyes lit up. "I remember! I picked you out of the two when you were trying to throw me off! Man, it took me almost a whole month to figure you boys out... My gosh. ...How could I ever forget about Kao-"

**-WHOOSH!-**

The ceiling cracked open and separated, like the lid of a cereal box, with only a white light covering the sky. As though a massive gust of wind from beneath his feet suddenly arose, Tamaki's body lifted off the ground and shot upward like a rocket, careening into the white abyss above. Then moments later, the ceiling closed up again as though nothing had happened.

But sometching did happen. Tamaki Suoh was gone.

Vanished.

Hikaru's eyes bulged and his jaw flew open,witnessing the bizarre phenomenon first hand. What was stranger,mother fact that Tamaki was just now ejected into the air, or the fact that he himself remained grounded? Such a puzzling moment was this that he couldn't think straight. He just stood there, bulged eyes staring at the ceiling in disbelief.

.

Eventually, after shaking off the initial shock, Hikaru's came running back into Music Room 3, where he was greeted by the stunned faces of Hosts and guests alike.

"HELP," he screamed frantically as he flung the doors open. "SOMEONE, CALL THE EMERGENCY LINE! TONO'S BEEN... Well, he's... He's GONE!"

Still the Hosts and guests looked shocked; it just dawned on Hikaru that he had been in hiding and this is the first time anyone has seen him in over a day.

But then, Hunny stepped forward with his classic boyish smile. "Hika-chan! Where have you been? Everyone's been worried about you."

Haruhi, still posing as a boy, also came forward with a look of discern on her face. "You're supposed to be hiding out! What are you doing here?"

He ran to her and embraced her shoulders, panting. "Haruhi, you won't believe it! I was talking to the Boss, and he just suddenly... 'Whoosh!' He flew up into the sky!"

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Are you sure you weren't just dreaming?"

"No, I saw it! I saw the Boss-"

"The 'Boss,'" she pointed out, "is right over there."

Hikaru looked over her shoulder, to find Kyoya Ootori at his usual desk writing in his little black book. The redhead narrowed his eyes at the raven-haired sophomore. "No, not Kyoya-Senpai."

"But," responded a confused Hunny, "you call Kyoya-chan 'Boss' all the time. Ever since he started the Host Club, remember?"

Hikaru gasped at hearing this. "What!? No, he didn't start the club, Tamaki-Senpai did!"

To this, both Haruhi and Hunny cocked their heads to the side like perplexed puppy dogs. **"Who?"**

_No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, _went on forever in Hikaru's head. Quickly,meh darted past them and over to Kyoya's side, who sat there as cool as ever.

"Please tell me your disappearing act was just your way of drawing in more fan girls," said the Shadow King nonchalantly.

"Kyo- I mean Boss- can you remember a blonde, half-French guy named Tamaki Suoh?"

The older teen's head tilted back, as though intrigued. "Suoh... Yes, that name does ring a bell. Hold on." Hikaru waited with a glint of hope in his eye, as Kyoya reached under the desk to pull out a bigger black book and ran through its pages. "Suoh... Suoh... Suoh... Ah, I knew that name was familiar."

Hikaru grinned widely; perhaps there was still a trace of the real Toño in there after all...?

"Yuzuru Suoh, the main chairman of Ouran Academy. Married, but with no children."

"...None?" gulped Hikaru nervously. "Not even... outside of marriage?"

Kyoya shot him an icy glare. "Be careful not to speak of such things to our school's chairman, Hikaru."

"But... But, Tamaki..."

"As far as my records go, there _is_ no Tamaki."

No Tamaki.

_No Tono._

He was never born, he never existed.

_Just like Kaoru._

Hikaru felt weak in the knees, as he now realized that his twin brother must have met with a similar fate as Tamaki. So distraught in deep thought was he, that he didn't realize that he had fallen to his knees, prompting Mori to do,e over, pick him up, and carry him over to the main red couch to rest.

Hunny started to fan the redhead with a paper fan, while a female guest offered him a glass of water. Haruhi shooed away everyone else, to give her distraught friend space to breathe. The boy laid down on his left side while millions of fears regrading the fates of his missing twin and employer swirled in his head, making him feel dizzy. But then, after a few minutes to himself, he motioned for Haruhi to come over and join him.

The girl,dressed as a boy heeded his silent call and stooped down to meet his eyes. "Feeling any better?"

"Haruhi... Does the name Tamaki Suoh ring a bell to you?"

"Tamaki...? ...No, it doesn't. Why?"

His eyes closed sorrowfully. "Just checking."

She rested a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "Is this about your brother? Did you find any more clues to where-"

She was cut off by her friend's sudden sit-up while he grabbed her by the arm. "Haruhi..." He sounded horrified, which made her uneasy. "Haruhi, listen to me: I can't let you get involved in this anymore."

"Why not? I thought you needed my help."

"No. No one can help me, I have to do this on my own. Please, Haruhi... I can't lose you."

The solemn glare in his eyes sent shivers down her neck. He was seriously concerned for her safety, for reasons only he could understand. Though it pained her to say it, she surrendered and have a nod. "Okay, I'll stay out of it."

"Promise?"

"I Promise."

He patted her shoulder and laid back down, still looking worse for wares.

The rest of the afternoon was slow, as no one wanted to disturb the weary Hitachiin boy. Haruhi explained his situation to the other Hosts as best she could, and they decided that he could stay at one of Hunny's dojos. The further he stayed away from his friends and family the better, Hikaru himself would say.

..

..

That evening, Haruhi was eating with her father in their tiny dining room with the small table that lacked chairs. They looked like two peas in a pod, cutting up their dinners and eating in peaceful silence. All seemed right in their world...

And then, her nose tickled. A familiar scent came from the small adjacent room. "...Mushrooms?"

"Hmm?" hummed Ranka. "Did you say something, dear?"

"Did you cook mushrooms, Dad?"

He blinked in confusion. "No, why?"

"That scent," she mused. "...Why is it so strong?"

In the small adjacent room, unbeknownst to her, wild mushrooms were growing from long forgotten plant pots.

..

..

"You didn't have to take that one," declared the tall and slim female Agent, as she pointed across the room toward the large glass orb in which Tamaki Suoh was now residing. He still had on his school uniform, and like Kaoru in his own glass chamber beside his, he was floating around in pink liquid while being given oxygeon through a breathing apparatus.

Her associate, the male Agent with the unnatrually tall and thin frame, typed away at his computer. "It was a safety precaution," he explained. "His knowledge could have jeopardized the entire project."

His female associate frowned, "There are other ways of dealing with these sorts of things. Just this morning, I erased the initials of Subject A on a small piece of paper. It's simple as that."

"These subjects... They are more clever than you give them credit for." On his computer monitor, he had a clear picture of Haruhi Fujioka in her dining room, eating and thinking of mushrooms.

"If it comes to it, we'll have to take drastic measures."

.

**TBC**


	3. Denied

.

****Hikaru and Kaoru, age thirteen.****

__Hikaru always knew what was best for his younger brother, and was always ready to step in and defend him, whether Kaoru liked it or not.__

__While playing with other kids during recess in middle school, Kaoru worked up the courage to talk to a young girl he had his eyes on for some time. The girl was grey haired, often wearing her curly locks in a high ponytail wrapped in a yellow ribbon. Her name would be forgotten over time, but at that time she was was the most fetching of all seventh graders.__

__But someone else got to her first.__

__The girl was sitting with her friends, reading a magazine, when one of the red-haired Hitachiin boys quietly waved her over. Curious, she followed after him and he led her to the back of the school building where they would be alone.__

_"___You're Kaoru, right?" she blinked.__

_"___Yep, that's me," he nodded in a lie. "I just wanted you to know something: My brother Hikaru's got a crush on you."__

__The girl gasped and blushed slightly. "He does? Really? I... I didn't know."__

__The boy's golden eyes narrowed; of course she wouldn't notice, she was always too busy reading girly magazines on how to better her appearance. "Well," he replied slyly, "I kind of like you too."__

__She smiled warmly. "You too? Gosh, I'm really flattered."__

__He faked a smile. "...Is that all you can say? Aren't you the least bit interested in either of us?"__

_"___Well, to be perfectly honest, I barely know either of you. But I guess if I had to choose which one to hang out with..." She paused for quite some time, confirming his worries that she, just like everyone else he had ever met, couldn't decide which twin was which let alone which one to interact with. Finally, she breathed, "I'm sorry. This is kind of embarassing, but... the truth is, I'm not sure which of you I like more. You're both so... so alike."__

__That was it, that was the word he hated most. Alike. Only he and his brother knew better; yes they looked alike, they shared similar traits and hobbies, but there were differences between them that they alone seemed to notice. He knew he was Hikaru, and that the other one was Kaoru. To everyone else, it was The Twins and nothing more.__

__He sighed sadly, "I'm sorry. I hoped you'd be different." With that, he turned and walked away.__

__The girl was left confused. "Different? ...Different, how? What do you mean?" He would not respond.__

__Minutes later, he had caught up with the real Kaoru who wondered, "Where've you been, Hikaru?"__

_"___I just talked to that girl you like," he confessed with a sad look on his face.__

__Kaoru noticed it and asked, "What's wrong?"__

_"___I'm sorry Kao, but she's not worth it. She's just like everyone else." He patted Kaoru's shoulder in comfort.__

__Kaoru was truly heartbroken, and a little lost. "But... But... I really like her."__

_"___Just forget her, Kaoru. Trust me."__

__Kaoru glanced at the ground in sorrow.__

__Hikaru always knew what was best for Kaoru; he could never stand for anyone who would potentially break his heart. Even though it was he himself who hurt Kaoru's feelings that day, Hikaru would never regret it. It was for Kaoru's own good. He was certain of that.__

..

..

**Present Day.**

"It just doesn't add up," muttered Hikaru.

He, Hunny and Mori were cleaning up Music Room 3 that evening after club hours when he began to contemplate the fact that his leader, Tamaki, was now completely out of the picture. "Tamaki-senpai was the one who started the Host Club. __He's__ the one who got us all together. How can we even have this club if he doesn't exist?"

"I dunno what you're talking about, Hika-chan," frowned Hunny as he folded up the costume he wore earlier that day. "I've never met a Tamaki. Have you, Takashi?"

"No," replkied his cousin nearby while rearranging potted plants.

Hikaru sighed, feeling hopeless. "But you guys do feel like something's been off lately, right? Like, the Club hasn't been as much fun as it used to be?"

"Hmmm," paused Hunny while placing a finger on his chin in deep thought. "Come to think of it... I can't remember the last time I had cake. Or ice cream. Or anything sweet."

"That's a good thing," mused his cousin. "Less sweets, less cavaties."

"But still, I feel like I've had some lately. I've got this familiar taste in the back of my mouth..."

__**Crash!**__

"What was that?" gasped Hikaru.

The others heard it too and stopped what they were doing. "It sounded like it came from the hall," replied Mori.

.

After peeking through the doors of Music Room 3, the three boys were stunned to see two men dressed in dark clothing emerging through their makeshift dress closet with a handful of clothes in their arms.

'Thieves!" yelled Hikaru, which alarmed the robbers.

Horrified that they've been caught red-handed, the two men took off as Hikaru and the others gave chase.

Mori, being the fastest of the three, managed to tackle one man while the other escaped down the stairs. The tall teen held him tightly, but the man kicked upward and hit him in the face with great agility. Clearly, he was no mere robber. However, as he struggled to free himself, the man lost his jacket.

Hikaru and Hunny caught up with a now dazed Mori, who held the jacket tightly in his grip. "Damn it," cussed Hikaru, "they got away..."

But then, Hikaru looked down curiously at the seized jacket, and noticed a symbol on its left breast. His golden eyes widened in shock. He knew that insigna.

"Ootori."

..

..

Ootori Mansion, the next day.

Kyoya was strtaightening his school tie in a mirror in the living room of his lavish mansion, when the doorbell rang. Curious, he approached it before one of his servants did, and opened the door. To his surprise, he was greeted by a fiery-haired teen whose hangs grasped harshly onto his collar.

"Where's Kaoru?" growled Hikaru.

Kyoya, taken by complete surprise, stammered. "I- I don't know what you're talking about. Who's Kaoru again?" He straigtened his glasses.

"Don't play dumb with me, Ootori," hissed the fuming red-head. "I caught one of your goons yesterday at the Club. I know you know something about my brother's disappearance! Now spill it!" He shook Kyoya by his collar.

The older teen tried to gently pry himself free from Hikaru's grasp, but to no avail. However, his face seemed to relax as his nerves quickly regained stability. Typical Kyoya. "I really don't know what you're going on about, Hikaru. If this is some kind of prank, I'm not really amused by it."

"Just tell me where my brother is and I'll leave you alone. I promise. ...Now tell me... Tell me! …..TELL ME!"

"Kyoya? Who is that?" came a deeper male voice in the back of the room.

Hikaru gasped in surprise at the sound of Kyoya's father and head of the house, Yoshio Ootori himself. He had been standing at the edge of the living room for some time now and overheard Hikaru's aggressive remarks. Seeing the man in person made the young Hitachiin freeze in place and, as if by reflex, loosen his grip on Kyoya's collar.

Kyoya stood straight and fixed the collar of his shirt. "This is one of my friends from school, father. He's Hikaru Hitachiin, heir to the Hitachiin fashion line and estate."

"S-sir," gulped Hikaru to Yoshio.

The older man approached the redhead at the door with a stern look on his face, which wasn't unusual as he always looked stern even toward his own children. But something in his dark eyes truly scared Hikaru, as though he was the true King of Demons while Kyoya was merely a prince in training.

"I think I know what this is about. Kyoya, would you excuse the two of us for a moment? I need to have a word with Mr. Hitachiin."

"Yes sir," bowed Kyoya as he stepped aside.

"Mr. Hitachiin, come with me."

Hikaru gulped again, only louder this time.

.

He was led into a room that looked very much like an office; indeed, this was where Yoshio did most of his accounting when he wasn't at work. Hikaru marveled at the paintings of past Ootori members and the cleanliness of the deep brown furniture. On the floor, embedded into the carpet, was a large copy of the Ootori Group insigna. He stood in the center of it as Yoshio took to the seat of his desk.

"What I'm about to tell you must never leave this room. Do you understand?"

Hikaru reluctantly nodded.

Yoshio leaned forward, planting his elbows on his desk while his fingers entwined. "I'm only saying this because you simply won't leave it alone, so I'm going to tell you what I know... although, what I know isn't much."

"...Go on."

"It seems that these... People... who have abducted your brother are running some kind of experiment."

Hikaru paled. "Experiment?"

"Yes. They've been doing these sort of experiments for some time now. You see, Mr. Hitachiin, They don't seem to fully understand the concept of human emotion- particularly the emotional bonds between family and friends. So what They do is pick a pair of kin or close friends, take one and see how well the other fairs without the abductee. Sometimes They go as far as erasing people's minds to test if the emotional bond is still there despite a lack of memory. ...Are you still with me?"

"Mm-hmm," the boy nodded.

"Good. The idea is that a human with a strong emotional bond will somehow break the amnesia barrier after a certain time. What They do is record that time, analyze it, compare it to other results, then They release the adbuctee and revert everything back to the way is was. Then, They move on."

"...They move on... As in, to another unsuspecting pair. And the whole thing starts over again?"

"That is correct."

Hikaru's stomach turned, the whole idea of people disappearing and forced to forget disgusted him. He fidgeted in his seat before boldly asking, "And, you just let this happen? Like it's no big deal?"

Yoshio leaned back in his chair. "I run my own hospital, and sometimes the ones They are testing come by to report their stories. Sometimes they seem traumatized, other times they're like lost children. But in every case I've seen, no one was ever truly harmed. And even if they were, it's beyond my power to do something about it, other than to give them proper medical care. Do I allow this to happen? Yes. Do I enjoy it? Not at all, but I do what I must to keep the peace around here."

"And why did __'They'__ confide in you and your group?"

"They trust that we will cooperate, and we have. Whatever information They don't have on Their subjects, it's our responsibility to give it to Them, or in rare occasions we take matters into our own hands."

"Like yesterday, when your goons broke into our dressing room and stole Tamaki and Kaoru's clothes."

"No one was supposed to see that. You least of all... Which brings me to you, Mr. Hitachiin."

Hikaru winced with worry.

"Of all the people They've tested, you by far are the strangest. Usually when someone's memory is erased, it takes them days or even weeks to get them back. But according to Them, your memories were taken that very night They took your brother. Yet right from the moment you've woken up, your memories never seemed to have left."

"...And... That's bad?"

"I'm not sure. But it seems that Their interest in you has peaked. Which is why I will now advise you to stop searching for your brother."

"What?"

"I want you to go home, tell your parents that you've been under a lot of stress and that your ramblings about a twin were nothing more than a momentary lapse in logic. You will go on with your life pretending that nothing has changed."

"And just ignore the fact that these people have my brother, doing God knows what to him?"

"If They are convinced that your memories have faded, then it's possible that They will bring back your brother sooner than later. But if you keep persuing Them, it might only spell trouble for the both of you. I'm only telling you this for your own good, son. Leave it be."

The boy took a moment to consider his options, but only for a moment. He already knew going into this office what his answers would be; whatever Ootori would say, no matter how threatening or foreboding, he was going to do the opposite. "...I'm sorry, Mr. Ootori, but I can't do that."

"You're making a mistake," frowned Yoshio in a dark tone. "You have no idea what They are capable of."

"Yeah well, They don't know what __I'm__capable of. I'm going to find Kaoru and bring him home, and if I have to move Heaven and Hell to do it, then so be it."

Yoshio slammed his hands on his desk as he rose to his feet. "Don't be a fool, boy! No one has ever bested Them, __no one__! They've dealt with far more powerful people, and you're just a teenager. What could__you__ possibly do?"

Hikaru stared back at him coldly. "...I dunno... I guess we'll see." He turned and started to walk away.

Yoshio sat back in his chair and sighed deeply. "...You leave me no choice." He picked up the phone on his desk and dailed a number.

.

Yoshio was only protecting the boy, he knew what was best, whether Hikaru liked it or not. Just as Hikaru was storming out of the Ootori mansion and toward his limosene, he was intercepted by two men dressed in the Ootori Group's police uniforms, their eyes shielded by sunglasses.

"I'm sorry, young man," said one of them, "but we have orders to take you to the nearest psychiatric hospital."

"What?" gasped Hikaru, looking quite offended. "Are you serious? I'm not insane!"

The other gentlemen pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to Hikaru. "According to the headmaster, he has recently evaluated your mental state and requested immediate transfer."

Hikaru glanced at the paper and saw Yoshio's handwritten signature as plain as day at the bottom of the page. He also saw a glance of his own name, typed in bold, and the word "Certifiable" somewhere in there as well. He was far too shocked and apalled to read the whole document clearly.

"This is bull," he hissed. "Mr. Ootori knows me, we just talked!"

"Yes, we know."

"And he knows I'm not..." Then it hit him like a ton of bricks, and his heart dropped down to his stomach. "That son of a bitch."

"Come with us, son. We'll call your parents about this."

"No... No, wait! This is a mistake! I'm not crazy! I'm not- let me go!" But no matter how hard he struggled or how loudly he screamed, the boy's arms were seized by the taller, muscular men without hope of escape. They puled him into the limo, but it was about to head in a much different direction of where Hikaru originally planned.

Kyoya looked on from a window from his mansion.

..

..

It was uncertain how long he had been strapped to his new bed in the psychiatric ward; his vision was blurry and his head spinning in reaction to the sedative that was given earlier. He struggled against it, but it wasn't long before Hikaru drifted off into a deep sleep, in which he began to dream...

.

__He didn't know where he was or how he had gotten there, all he could see was a soft grey sky, and felt his back flattened against a surface. It was a hazy and mysterious void he found himself in, with no distinguishable buildings or trees, rather just mist. But instead of feeling lost and afraid, he was overcome by a peaceful calm, especially when a warm hand caressed his brow.__

_"___Hiukaru..."__

_"___...____I... I know that voice..."__

_"___Hika...?"__

_"___...____Kaoru? I-is that...?" His eyes focused on the figure leaning over him, and when it came into focus is was as though he was staring aqt his own reflection. Except this reflection was wearing a creamy white top and orange pants, with his bangs parted to the left instead of the right.__

__He felt himself gasp. "Kaoru."__

__The mirror image smiled. "I've missed you, brother."__

__Hikaru sat up and saw that the other twin was sitting down on the floor as well, his upper body leaning just over his. The two of them stared at each other for a brief moment before one took the other into his arms. Hikaru nuzzled his face into Kaoru's neck. "...You're real... I __knew__ you were real."__

_"___Yes, Hika. I'm real." He began to stroke his brother's auburn locks.__

_"___Is... is this a dream?"__

__Kaoru pulled him back to look his twin in their matching eyes. "Do you remember how easy it was for us to share our dreams, Hika? It was so much easier for us when we were younger."__

_"___...____I remember." He felt like he was going to cry.__

.

Meanwhile, in their undisclosed lab, the Agents were watching as Kaoru's slumbering body began to twitch in ways it hadn't before. The female moved closer to closely observe the monitor recording his brainwave patterns. They were wilder now, indicating that he was in an active dream.

She then turned over to the screen that monitored Hikaru as he slept in his strap-down bed in the hospital, his muscles twitching in the same pattern Kaoru's were. With a touch of the screen, another brainwave indicator switched on, and it mirrored just about every wave seen on Kaoru's chart. She knew what this meant.

"Incredible," mused the female Agent. "Even as they dream, their minds are completely in synch. I don't believe we've ever seen this before."

"All the more reason to keep them under surveillance," replied her male counterpart nearby.

Her lips curled into a frown without him knowing it.

.

_"___Where have you been, Kaoru?" asked Hikaru as he continued to embrace his long-lost twin. "I've been going crazy looking for you."__

__Kaoru frowned, "I'm sorry... I don't really know where I am. I've been feeling so... lost."__

__Hikaru blinked. "...Well, that doesn't really help."__

_"___I'm sorry, Hika, I wish I could tell you..."__

__Hikaru suddenly winced, as the ground began to shake. "What's going on?"__

_"___You're waking up."__

_"___No!" he gasped in horror. "N-no, I can't go, I just got you back! I can't leave you."__

__His twin cupped his cheeks into his hands. "It's alright, Hika. I'm just glad I got to see you again. I've missed you terribly."__

__A tremor went through his body, and Hikaru panicked again. He held onto Kaoru's hands while they stayed firmly on his cheeks. "I... I don't want to go..."__

_"___You have to, or else you'll never find me."__

__Everything around them started to go black.__

_"___Find me, Hikaru."__

_"___Kao? ...Kaoru?" His brother began to fade away.__

_"___Find me..."__

_"___Kaoru! …___.Kaoru___!"__

..

..

"Hitachiin Hikaru, this is your wake up call."

"Uh. ..Ugh..." Hikaru's eyes fluttered open to the warm, welcoming smile of the last person he expected. "K-... Kyoya-senpai?"

Indeed, it was Kyoya leaning over him, and he was unbucling the straps on the boy's bed. "I've pulled some strings," explained the taller teen in glasses. "I talked to the head doctor in this place and convinced him that my father's evaluation of you was a mistake."

"Wha...?" Hikaru was still loopy from waking up from the sedative. He rubbed his eyes.

"I've called our friends to pick you up." With the last buckle undone, Kyoya gently helped Hikaru sit up. "Listen, Hikaru, I don't know much about what's going on. But I know this much: you're not crazy. I've known you for a little over a year, but that's enough time for me to make my own evaluation on you."

"So... So, you believe me. I'm not crazy."

"Yes, I do."

"Then... Kaoru? Tamaki-senpai?"

"I still don't remember them, but I believe your story. We'll find them, I promise. We'll find Tamaki, and your bro-"

**_**WHOOSH!**_**

Once again, the ceiling and sky opened up, and a vaccum of wind sucked up Kyoya, ejecting him from reality it seemed. In that bright flash, Hikaru shielded his eyes, but when he opened them again, he was alone.

Funny, he didn't know why, but he felt in his bones that he shouldn't have been alone. Someone was just here... Someone he knew. Someone important.

A honk from a car outside alarmed him.

.

Now a free man, Hikaru walked out of the hospital without resistance from the nurses, as they were recently made aware of his sanity- though from whom they weren't sure. Parked in front of the front doors was a long black limo, with Hunny and Mori standing by.

"Hika-chan!" waved Hunny enthusiastically.

Hikaru waved back with a smile before meeting them face to face. "Guys... What're you doing here?"

"Didn't you call us to pick you up?" asked the Lolita boy innocently.

Hikaru scratched his head in confusion. "No, I'm... pretty sure it wasn't me." He felt a sudden chill down his spine. "...I don't even remember why I'm here."

"Well, you're okay now," assured Hunny with a shrug. "Are you still hising from your parents?"

It was slowly coming back to him, though not all of it. "My parents... Yeah... Yes, they think I've lost my mind. They're the ones who probablly sent me here."

"Come with us," said Mori.

"We'll keep you safe at our house," added Hunny as he opened the side door.

Still feeling unsure of what just happened, Hikaru felt he had no choice but to accept things as they were. He climbed into the limo with his friends, and the vehicle drove away from the hospital.

Throughout the ride, three words kept haunting him in the back of his mind: __"Find me, Hikaru... Find me..."__

.

****TBC****


	4. Challenged

.

**Hikaru and Kaoru, age fifteen (one month earlier).**

"_**THAT'S IT! WE'RE OVER!"**_

_With those words, the Club fell silent as the Hitachiin Twins, who were inseperable since birth, went their seperate ways for the first time ever. But something even more remarkable happened just moments ago: for the first time in their lives, someone- a commoner of all people- managed to tell the two of them apart. Now one redhead stormed out of the Club in fury while the other waited his turn to turn his nose up to the bewildered onlookers and storm out in suit._

_They kept up the silent treatment toward each other all the way until they each entered the limo which would drive them home. Once in the backseat, Kaoru was taken by surprise when face was captured by his brother's hands. Hikaru beamed delightfully at him; "Kaoru, you evil genius, you! I can't believe how quickly you came up with that new routine!"_

_Indeed, it was the younger twin who initiated the fighting, as he laughed uncontrollably at a comment the commoner girl made about Hikaru earlier. "Aw gee," he smiled meekly, "I couldn't think of anything else to say."_

"_It's brilliant," cheered Hikaru. "Now everybody's gonna be so caught up in our fighting, that they'll completely forget that we lost the game."_

"_...Yeah... about that..." started Kaoru, but then he faltered._

"_Hm?" blinked Hikaru._

"_I was just thinking... Is it really a bad thing that someone finally told us apart? Isn't this what we've always wanted, Hika? To be seen as individuals for once?" The boy turned his head, looking guilty for having started this distraction._

_His brother, on the other hand, protested. "I thought so at first, but now... Now it just scares me. Don't tell me you weren't freaked out back there."_

"_I was... But now, I kind of feel... I dunno... Relieved?"_

"_Relieved?"_

"_More like, liberated."_

_Hikaru stepped back in disbelief. "How could you say that? We've always been together, no matter what!"_

"_And we still are, Hika. Nothing's changed that. Only now... Now we can be ourselves instead of just a team. We're not just Hikaru-And-Kaoru anymore. ...It feels kind of nice."_

_Hikaru blinked, confused by his brother's words. His body started to tremble in fear, but his tremors quickly disapated once his twin's hands clutched onto his._

"_I know it's weird, Hikaru, but this is a good thing. We can still pretend to fight and make everyone else feel uncomfortable, so we don't have to. But even after we're done with this routine,_ she's_ still going to tell us apart. And we're just gonna have to adjust to that. Who knows? Maybe everyone else will start to see us differently. But no matter what happens, we'll still be together."_

"_I don't want this," whispered the elder twin, still feeling faint of heart. "I don't want..."_

_Kaoru pulled him in with a tight hug, then rested his chin on his twin's shoulder. "Hey, hey... I'm still here, Hika. ...I'm not going anywhere."_

_As though he needed some reassurance, Hikaru closed the hug with his own arms to feel his brother's presence. His short breaths cooled into deeper ones, and soon he was calm. Kaoru gently patted his back before pulling away._

_He smiled, "Don't worry. We'll get her back one of these days. Just for messing with us."_

_Hikaru gulped and forced a smile. "Yeah. We'll show her. Nobody messes with the Hitachiin Twins." They shook on it._

_And the Hitachiin Twins would go on to have their fun, causing chaos and confusion even among their closest of friends. But something significant happened on that day, shortly after Haruhi Fujioka came barreling into their lives; for on that day, everyone began to take notice of the Twins' subtle yet present differences. Their lives were never truly the same again._

..

..

**Present Day, somewhere in deep Limbo.**

She watched with a heavy heart as the slumbering form of Kyoya Ootori was being connected to a third chamber. With his tie and jacket removed and a breathing apparatus latched onto his face, the unconscious boy's chamber filled with pink liquid and soon he became afloat, just like Tamaki and Kaoru in their chamers beside his.

The female Agent shook her head in displeasure. "This is wrong."

Her words managed to alert her male counterpart, who was activating the newest chamber. He turned to her curiously.

"We were only supposed to take one boy, not three."

He frowned, "They were interfering with our study, I had no choice." He then approached her with a look of concern. "We do what we have to, to fulfill our assignment."

She remained troubled. "We should have stopped the moment Subject A showed signs of rememberance. The goal was to see how long his memories would kick in."

"That is just the problem though, is it not? The first erasing did not work, we need to try again."

She shook her head in defiance. "No. This has gone on for long enough. We must shut down and return the stolen children."

"Do not let their emotions rub off on you, Agent. We are not like them, we do not let our personal feelings get in the way of progress."

"How long must this go on, Agent? How many more lives are you willing to interefere with before your own curiosity is satisfied?" When he failed to give her an answer, she boldly declared, "I am going to talk to the Engineer; he must know about this."

She started to walk away when her male counterpart blocked her path. "We must not get him involved, he is far too busy to be bothered by this."

Her dark eyes narrowed. "Are you afraid of what he would say?"

"No... I just do not think it is that important. This is all just a minor setback. Let us just proceed with the observation. If any other people interfere... we will deal with them a different way."

"Is that a promise?"

"It is."

There was a pause before the female Agent sighed in compliance. "Proceed."

..

..

**Saturday morning, in Hunny's bedroom.**

"Here ye, here ye! The Host Club will now come to order!" announced Club President Mitskune "Hunny" Haninozuka, as he pummeled a toy gavel onto the head of an old, ratty brown teddy bear.

With both Tamaki and Kyoya out of everyone's memories, it seemed that the club- now down to four members- instinctively assumed that the oldest among them, Hunny-senpai, was their club president. And so here they were, gathered in his bedroom full of stuffed animals on his bed and dressers, awaiting his orders.

"It's time for the club to come up with ideas for our next cosplay!" cheered the small Host King. "Takashi, any suggestions?"

Mori, leaning against a wall by the door and looking as stoic as ever, gave his beloved cousin a shrug. "No."

Haruhi, sitting on a very comfortably cusioned rocking chair, put her finger to her lips in deep thought. "Let's see... We've already covered Fuedal Japan, tropical paradise, Midevil Europe... What do you think, Hikaru?"

She motioned to the teen sitting on the floor leaning back on a giant stuffed lion as though it were a pillow. He looked drained and distant, his eyes staring up at the ceiling that was sparkling white. "Hm?" he hummed, slightly coming out of his haze.

"Haven't you been paying any attention?" scoffed Haruhi. "I understand you've been stressed out lately, but you're still part of this club. Aren't you?"

"Sorry, Haruhi," he sighed softly. He had been feeling guilty for having to hide out at his friends' homes out of fear of being recatured and taken back to the mental ward, even though it seemed he was deemed sane. He just wasn't willing to take any chances. "I..."

Then at last, he came alive again. He noticed the small brown bear that Hunny was just itching to hit again with his gavel. "Hunny-senpai, where'd you get that bear?"

"Dunno," he looked down darkly at it. "It must have been with me for a long time, I can tell it's really old. Anyway, you've got an idea for a cosplay, Hika-chan?"

Hikaru stared at the bear for a few more seconds. He knew he had seen it before, somewhere...

"We've lost him again," frowned Haruhi as she narrowed her eyes in frustration.

"Alright then, since no one else can come with an idea, I suggest we do a fairy tale theme! We'll dress Haru-chan up as Prince Charming; Hika-chan will be the Beast; I'll be Red Rising Hood, and Takashi can be the Big Bad Wolf! All agree?"

"Agree."

"Agree."

"...Meh... Agree."

"The voting is unanimous! Fairy Tale theme it is!" And with that, Hunny hammered down on the poor ratty old teddy bear again. And again. And again. And again, only harder. Each time that gavel hit that bear, something in the back on Hikaru's mind popped like a firecracker. That bear was significant somehow. He knew it. He just knew it!

"Stop!"

"Huh?" peeped everyone, their eyes falling on the redhead.

"Stop... hitting that bear!" he protested, pointing a finger at his club president. "That poor thing's taken enough abuse from you already!"

"W=what're you talking about?" blinked a confused Hunny.

"Hikaru," hissed Haruhi, "calm down. It's Hunny-senpai's bear, he can do what he wants to it."

"No... No, he can't. Because..." It was just scratching at the surface of his brain, this uneasy feeling inside. He started to squint his eyes shut and grit his teeth, looking more volitile than ever. Than all of a sudden, it burst out through his mouth: "BECAUSE IT'S NOT YOUR BEAR!"

The other three hosts jumped back in shock, even Mori who until now was like a stone statue of tranquility.

"Not... my bear?" blinked Hunny again, now looking fearful as he looked back down on the ratty old bear. "But... But I... love plush animals."

Hikaru's demeanor calmed only slightly, his hair still looking more frazzled than normal. "Yes, you love all of the ones that belong to _you_, senpai. But this one... _This_ one belongs to someone else. Someone we're all connected to."

"**Who?"** asked Haruhi and Hunny at the same time.

"I dunno," frowned Hikaru somberly. "I knew his name a moment ago. It's back here somewhere, in the corner of my mind..." He placed his hands on his head as though he were about to squeeze it open. "I remember our club president was always a blonde... But... It wasn't _you_, Hunny-senpai. And Mori-senpai!"

"Hmm?"

"You remind me of someone else. Someone with black hair, tall and thin. You're in charge of the club's finances, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you've always been there for Hunny-senpai, always guarding him. Like, like, like... Like a shadow!"

"Uh-huh?"

"A shadow," muttered Haruhi, her brown eyes lighting up. Again, she placed a finger to her bottom lip. "Oh, yeah. That word sounds familiar... I think I've heard it before."

Hikaru jumped in front of her, giving her a brief fright. "You feel it too, don't you Haruhi? You feel like something's off. Like people are missing, but you can't quite remember their names or faces, isn't that right?"

"Uh... I... recall smelling mushrooms in my house for no good reason."

Hunny cocked his head like a puppy. "This is all sounding really weird. Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor, Hika-chan?"

Hikaru turned to the Lolita boy and replied, "I have seen some kind of specialist recently, Hunny-senpai. I went to see Ootori Yoshio."

"Ootori," peeped Mori. "The group who runs the doctors and nurses at the school."

"Yes," nodded Hikaru. "I remember going to him about something- probably had something to do with my missing brother- and he deemed me crazy. Except I'm not! He's covering up for someone else... I know it sounds weird, but I feel like I have to see him again. I have to find out what it all means."

"Hikaru," pondered Haruhi, "if Mr. Ootori deemed you crazy, then who exactly gave you the clean bill of health?"

"Whoever it was," said Hikaru darkly, "must have already been taken by... _Them_."

"Wh-who's _Them_?" asked a now shivering Hunny, hiding behind his beloved Usa-chan.

"Whoever Mr. Ootori is covering up for," explained Hikaru. "_They _are the ones messing with us. _They_ know where my brother is. And I have to find Them. I have to..." He paused to see the looks of fear and confusion in the faces of his dearest friends. And all at once, his heart dropped with a sad realization: "You all think I'm crazy, don't you?"

No response.

"You think I should just crawl back to that padded cell and be done with it?"

Still, quiet.

"...Yeah, I get it. I'll leave you guys alone... Hunny-senpai, thanks for letting me crash here for a while. I'll just pack up my things and head back to my house. ….And if it makes you guys feel better, I won't show up at club anymore. ….I'm sorry I freaked you guys out. It won't happen again."

They watched silently as Hikaru walked out of the room with his tail between his legs. Haruhi took a deep breath and sighed.

"Do you think he's telling the truth, Haru-chan?"

"I want to believe him, senpai. It's just that he's been acting so strange lately... Moreso than usual. If he_ is_ right and that there's some mysterious group out there stealing people, then how do we prove it?"

"Ootori," muttered Mori.

"That's it," snapped Hunny's fingers. "We can try to find answers at the Ootori mansion."

Haruhi raised an eyebrow. "You mean break in and sneak around like petty thieves?"

"We've got bandit costumes," said Mori dryly.

Hunny clapped his hands gleefully. "Yay! New cosplay idea: Bandits in the name of love! The club has spoken!" With that, he absent-mindedly hammered the poor ratty bear with his toy gavel again.

Haruhi sighed to herself. "Please tell me they're kidding."

..

..

They weren't kidding.

That night, in the Ootori mansion, only a few security guards dressed in light blue blouses and navy blue pants and matching ties with badges on their left breasts stood like statues around the front and back doors. They were ready for anything... except, apparently, for ninjas.

Dressed all in black from head to toe, the trio of Hosts scaled the front gates of the mansion with a hook and rope, away from prying eyes. From there to the side of the massive building, Mori and Hunny flipped and cartwheeled like gymnasts, while the far less acrobatic Haruhi walked nonchalantly after them. They stopped at a long and wide window, perhaps to the kitchen or dining hall, and ducked down in case there were guards present. When the coast seemed clear, Mori pryed the window open with a small knife. Hunny flew in with ease, while Mori gave Haruhi a boost.

.

Indeed they entered the dining hall of the mansion, their bodies pressed against the lavender wall. There were no guards or maids in sight, and so the two boys continued to show off their amazing acrobatics by flipping and spinning from wall to wall, all the while Hunny softly sang the theme to "Mission: Impossible."

Haruhi sighed and shook her head in embarassment while simply walking behind them.

.

The trio stopped at a corner when they noticed two guards standing outside a room with closed doors. They silently assumed that the room was important and therefore needed to be broken into. Mori nodded to Hunny to activate his decoy. The small blonde nodded back and tossed something across the room.

Curious, the guards lit their flashlights and followed the sound of something dropping onto the floor. Their flashlights led them to a small plush bunny- Usa-chan- dressed in its own ninja outfit. The guards marveled at the strange object long enough for the Hosts to pry the doors of the once guarded room, and slipped inside.

.

The room they entered was none other than Yoshio Ootori's private office, with tall cabinets lined along the walls and a desk built for a president. Hunny pulled down his black mask to gasp in awe at the place. "This must be where Ootori-sama keeps his medical files."

Haruhi opened the drawer of one cabinet to find a slew of files, all alphebetically ordered. "What exactly are we looking for here, anyway?"

"Look for Hika-chan's file."

"Hmm... He'd be under 'H,'" mused Haruhi as she skimmed the files with her fingers. As she did this, Mori and Hunny also opened up cabinet drawers to find the file.

But just as the other two were caught up in their search, Hunny's attention was captured by the presidential desk in the heart of the room. As he circled it, he found that on the back of it was a silver drawer with a keyhole. "Locked," he mused softly. He then pulled out a pin from his jacket pocket and began to fiddle with the lock.

Two minutes later, the light flicked on.

"AAAHH!" screamed the Lolita boy. He jumped into Mori's arms and yelled, "WE'VE BEEN COMPROMISED! TAKASHI! EVASIVE ACTION!"

"Hmph!" huffed Mori, as he pulled from his pant pocket a small ball, which he threw to the ground.

The trio, plus Yoshio who stood at the doorway, all stood there in awkward silence.

"Let me guess," said a deadpanned Haruhi, "that was supposed to be a smoke bomb."

"Yeah," frowned Mori.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Commoner's discount store."

Haruhi facepalmed.

Meanwhile, Yoshio mused at the teens' antics while holding Ninja Usa-Chan under his left arm. "Let me guess, you're all friends with Hikaru Hitachin. Yes?"

"How did you know?" blinked Haruhi in surprise.

"I had a feeling he'd try to pull a stunt like this," replied the old man as he approached his desk, "but I didn't expect him to involve his friends."

"He doesn't know about this," confessed Hunny. "We're here because we're worried about him."

"You could have just asked me personally for answers," the old man chided.

Hunny and Mori narrowed their eyes at him. "You threw him in a mental institute," Hunny chided back.

The man pulled out a key and placed it inside the lock of his silver cabinet, opening it. "None of this should be your concern, children. But if this is what you were looking for..." He pulled out from within the cabinet a thin file and handed it over to Hunny.

"Wait," blinked Haruhi in surprise (again). "Y-you're... helping us?"

"This charade has gone on long enough," frowned the old man. "Besides, They're not concerned with you, they only want to study the Hitachin boy. As long as They're focused on him, then you three should be safe."

"So there is a 'They,'" shuddered Hunny. "Who are They? What do they want with Hika-chan?"

"That," said the man coldly, "is classified."

"He's hiding something, Takashi! Let's beat it out of him!"

The two boys whipped out from behind their backs two sets of plastic weapons; Hunny a pair of sais, Mori a nunchaku.

Haruhi noticed the blandness of the weapons easily. "Commoner's discount store?"

"The whole set was on sale," said Hunny innocently.

Taking to his seat at the desk, Yoshio leaned forward and growled, "You have everything you need, now be good little children and get out."

Clutching onto the mysterious file, Hunny led the trio out of the room, leaving Yoshio alone with his thoughts.

He then reached back into the silver cabinet and pulled out a large picture of his family. In it was a third son, whom he only had faint memories of at this point.

As he stared intently at the third, bespectacled son, Yoshio could feel the presence of another forming into the room. He lowered the picture and stared into the dark, empty eyes of the male Agent.

The Agent frowned, "You have interfered with our study."

Calm as a cucumber, Yoshio glared back at him. "You've made it personal."

"Are you referring to the one called Kyoya?"

"Is that my boy's name? Hmm..." He smirked. "I've kepy my family's image with me just in case you pulled a trick like this."

"You are indeed a clever man. But you do know what this means, do you not?"

Yoshio leaned back in his chair, still calm as ever. "Do what you want to me, I know how this works. You'll just keep snatching up people until that Hitachin boy breaks. I've seen you do it before. And you call _my_ people uncivilized."

"Enough." The Agent waved his hand forward, and suddenly the wall behind Yoshio's desk opened up into a void of white light. A great force pushed him back into it, swallowing him up.

The Agent paused for a moment when he heard his female counterpart behind him say, "You have broken your promise."

He turned to her, looking only slightly concerned.

"You told me you would not take anyone else."

"The situation has changed," he tried to explain. "Too many people are interfering with the study."

"This is no longer about the study. You have become obsessed. I must report this to the Engineer immediately."

She had only taken a few steps in front of him before she had suddenly felt faint. Her body weakened, her thoughts diminished, and she fell to the floor. Standing behind her, the male Agent had been holding out his hand, as thought he had some kind of psychic control over her just then. It was the same gesture he made before he had sent Yoshio Ootori to the white void.

"I am sorry about this, Agent, but I must proceed with the observation. I _must_ finish what we have started."

He picked her up, cradled her in his arms, and carried her off into the white light, presumably toward an incubation chamber.

.

**TBC**


	5. Confronted

.

**Hikaru and Kaoru- a few days ago.**

_Hikaru awoke from a deep dream in the middle of the night to realize that he was alone in bed. He looked around the room to see that his beloved twin was missing. "Kaoru?" he called out, but there was no answer. This worried him, and he spoke in a louder, slightly more frantic tone. "Kaoru!?"_

_Suddenly, the door to their private bathroom clicked open. Out came his mirror image holding a glass of water dressed in nothing more than a pair of boxer shorts. "I'm right here, Hika," purred Kaoru. "I was just getting a glass of water."_

"_Oh," Hikaru breathed in relief._

_Kaoru placed the glass of water on the table beside the bed before crawling in and pulling the covers over himself. "Have a bad dream?"_

"_No. Just thought for a second there... Nevermind."_

_The younger twin smirked and scratched his brother's head as though he were a puppy. "Aww, did my poor brother think I was kidnapped by aliens?" He laughed while Hikaru groaned._

_Swatting his brother's hand away, Hikaru made a face. "...Maybe I did have a bad dream just now. I can't remember."_

"_Aww," murmured Kaoru again, though slightly more sincere this time. "You wanna cuddle till you fall back to sleep?"_

"_No. I'm not a baby anymore." Hikaru turned to his side, his back to his brother. It was quiet for a few seconds before Hikaru felt the familiar touch of fingers gently scratching up and down his upper back. He groaned, "Kao, stop. I don't need coddling."_

"_You're so cute when you try to act tough."_

_Annoyed, Hikaru turned back to his snarky brother and growled, "I mean it, Kaoru! Just knock it off!"_

_Kaoru shifted backward, looking hurt. "...Sorry. I was just trying to help."_

"_I'm tired. We've got school tomorrow. Let me sleep."_

"_Fine..."_

_Hikaru started to drift off, his eyes feeling heavy._

"_Want some of my water?"_

"_Uuugh... Give it here." Kaoru handed Hikaru the glass, and after guzzling down most of it, he took it back and turned back to the wall._

_Feeling a bit victorious, Kaoru turned with his back to Hikaru's as he too felt sleep come upon him. But then he heard a very faint, "Thank you" coming from behind. He smiled. "You're welcome." He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep._

_That was the last time Kaoru was ever seen._

..

..

**Hikaru's bedroom, present night.**

He was alone.

Perhaps he had always been alone.

He sat there with his legs curled in on his bed, clutching tightly the mysterious brown teddy bear he aquired at Hunny's house, staring blankly at the wall. A war was waging within his own mind.

"_Was it real?" _he thought to himself. _"Was any of it real? ...Did I make up Kaoru just to cope with being alone all this time? ...Am I really going crazy?"_

He tried to think back, back to the days when he was a toddler and the games of hide-and-seek he played with... himself? He thought about the Host Club and how much it meant to him, and the faces of Haruhi, Mori, Hunny, and... some blonde guy, what was his name? And a raven-haired guy with glasses. Who was he, again? He had forgotten their names. And slowly, he was starting to forget their features. He remembered blonde hair and glasses... What was the hair color of the guy in glasses again? Why couldn't he remember now? It was just there a second ago... Did he make them up too, just as he did having a twin brother?

Kaoru.

His name was Kaoru.

That much was clear, his fictiscious brother's name. But wait. How could he remember something so clearly if it wasn't real?

He looked down at the teddy bear he grasped so desperately.

Whose teddy bear was this?

It wasn't Hunny-senpai's, that was for sure. But whose?

"I think I'm losing it," he thought grimly to himself. "I think I should have stayed at that hospital. At least there, I'd get some answers."

Then a voice slightly higher and gentler than his own popped into his head: _"Find me, Hikaru."_

"Stop it!" he yelled at nothing while clapsing the sides of his head in frustration. "Just stop! You're not real! You were never real!"

The voice persisted, _"Find me."_

"You're not my brother!" he shouted. "I never had a brother! You're just a figment of my imagination!"

"_Hika..."_

"SHUT! UP!" he roared, throwing the teddy bear across the room. As it smacked against the wall opposite his bed, it slouched on the floor. He stared at it, feeling sorry and yet confounded at the same time.

Why was any of this happening?

He was just fine a few days ago, he was happy.

...Wasn't he?

As he pondered this, he failed to notice the tears streaming down his pale face.

..

..

That same night...

"Okay," huffed Haruhi as she and her friends Hunny and Mori were walking towards the Hitachiin residence, "so how do we do this?" She had in her hands the case file she had acquired from the Ootori mansion less than an hour ago, still wary of opening it. "Do we just give it to him, or should we slide it through his door?"

Hunny replied with a smile on his face and a swing in his step, "Let's knock on his front door, and if one of his servants answers it, we'll just say, 'Here. Give this to Hika-chan.'"

"And if they ask what it is?"

"We'll say it's special Host Club business, and that only he should read it."

Haruhi frowned, "Sounds pretty shady, senpai."

"Don't worry, Haru-chan. Hika-chan will understand once he opens it. Right, Takashi? …...Takashi?" The youthful blonde stopped to look back at his towering cousin, only to find noone there. Confused, the boy blinked his big brown eyes. "Where did he go?"

Haruhi paused and looked at her club leader curiously. "Where did who go?"

They stared at each other blankly, allowing the realization to set in. Their jaws dropped in terror.

"They're on to us," gasped Haruhi softly.

"Haru-chan! RUN!"

The two of them picked up their feet and made a mad dash for the Hitachiin residence.

..

..

"Maybe it was all a dream," mused Hikaru to himself as he remained glued to his bed, still struggling with his memories. "Maybe I should have stayed at that hospital..."

..

..

Haruhi tripped and fell forward, dropping the case file. Hunny was quick to pick her and the file up. "Come on," he huffed. "We're almost there!"

As they raced on, the sky opened up.

..

..

"I should just be honest with myself. Tell mom and dad that I haven't been feeling well, and this whole thing with Kaoru was in my head."

..

..

A small vortex swirled in the sky as though it were a whirlpool in a deep blue lake, aiming itself toward the two teenagers as they were stopped at the closed gate of the Hitachiin driveway.

"Here, give me a boost!" pleaded Haruhi. Though he was smaller than her, Hunny proved to be the stronger one as he picked up just one of her feet and managed to lift her over the stone wall that guarded the mansion.

A white hot light fell behind Hunny. Sensing his inevitble demise, he called out, "HARU-CHAN!" With that, he flung the case file over the wall before he vanished into the light.

Haruhi caught the file and paused to breathe. "Hunny-senpai? ….Senpai!?"

No response. Just a flash of white.

She gripped the file and pressed on.

..

..

Hikaru slowly descended from the stairs. His head hanging low, he was ready to confess his insanity to his parents, who were sitting down for supper in the dining room.

..

..

_Run. Keep running. Keep running. Don't look back. Just run._

Haruhi's head swam with these pressing thoughts as her feet flew across the grassy front lawn of the mansion. She could feel the clock ticking in her heart, pounding like a drum. She knew what was right behind her.

..

..

Hikaru entered the dining hall, and sure enough he gazed into the eyes of his sickly worried parents.

"Mom? ...Dad? ….There's something I need to tell you."

..

..

**BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!** Went the front door. Haruhi, winded and frantic, pounded her fist on the door.

"Let me in! Please! Hikaru...!"

..

..

_BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG!_

Hikaru's father perked his head upwards. "...Now who could that be at this hour?"

"Huh?" hummed Hikaru, who stopped what he was saying and turned toward the living room.

His soft golden eyes caught the image of Haruhi as his butler opened the front door. She was covered in a white, blaring light. She looked almost angelic... and yet, there was also fear in her eyes.

"...Haruhi?"

Without saying a word, she used the last of her strength to fling the case file forward, through the doorway and onto the living room floor. As she did this, the light around her burned even brighter.

"...Haruhi!"

He raced to the doorway with a fierce spring in his step, as though instinct pulled him along. He reached out to her, even as he was just several feet away. He could have sworn she reached back, though the light engulfing her made it hard for him to see clearly.

Their hands almost touched...

"..."

…..And she was gone.

"..."

He fell to his knees.

"...Haru..."

There was no one at the door.

"...Haruhi...?"

Just a dark night and the familiar front porch.

"...not her..."

He looked up at the ceiling.

"NOT. HER...!"

He doubled over in grief, sobbing, as his parents ran over to console him. "Hikaru, dear!" gasped his mother. "What on earth...?"

"Son?" peeped his father. "...Son, what's wrong? Why're you so upset?"

They didn't see it. Or they couldn't remember it. That much was clear to him. Only he saw it. Only he remembered. This fact drove a nail in his heart, one that not only brought pain, but anger. Bitterness. Rage.

His teeth grit as he fought back tears. He wanted to hit something- _someone_. But instead, his fists pounded the floor. Soft carpet. It didn't even hurt. How dissatisfying.

But then, as he blinked some tears from his eyes, they opened again to the mysterious tan file lying on the floor, with its contents peeking outward just slightly. Haruhi brought that file. It was for him. He just knew it was.

Quickly, he grabbed ahold of the file and picked himself up from off the floor. Without further hesitation, he opened it. Inside he saw a picture of the entire Ootori family, including a third son with glasses. His eyes beamed. He_ knew _that face!

He turned over the picture to see another piece of paper, a map. A very detailed map of a hospital not far from where he lived. A hospital owned by the Ootori Group. A fine yellow line was drawn, as though directing him where to go. And it let straight to...

"Honey?" peeped Hikaru's concerned mother. "Is everything alright?"

He lowered the papers. "I have to go."

"Go?" blinked his father. "Go where?"

The boy turned to face his parents. "I'm sorry, Mom. Dad. But I really have to go. I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

"But dear... wait!" called out his mother. But he was already taking off.

The boy called out for his personal limo, which sped around to the driveway. He got inside without even looking back at his parents. He told the driver where to go, and off they went.

He was going to get his brother back.

..

..

The mental institution.

Of course it would be this place.

This was the place where Hikaru was comitted into and then released from the same day. He remembered it well, though most of his memories of it were blurred. But in his mind, it made complete sense that this building would be the headquarters of his brothers' kidnappers. Here, they had easy access to their victims who were supposedly stricken with amnesia, to monitor them and further torment them with mind games.

But more specifically, he needed to get to the basement. The case file told him so.

He told his driver to park in the lot just underneath the building, which was usually reserved for the doctors and nurses. Surely a guard would catch the limo down here and call authorities, but Hikaru didn't care. He had to follow the map to the letter to make sure his premonitions were right, that somewhere in this hole in the ground, he would find his brother and friends.

.

After leaving his parked limo, Hikaru slowly and carefully followed the map's yellow line. It led him three floors downward to a closed off area barred by signs that read "Personel Only." Of course he would ignore those signs and press onward.

But then he came to a stop. The yellow line brought him to a stone wall with numbers painted on it. These numbers usually meant to be parking numbers, except there were no cars here. He looked back down on the map and saw a written code on the bottom of the page: 7, 3, 6, 7, 3. He looked back up at the numbers, and sure enough there were two sets: 316 and 317.

Great. Two three's. How was he supposed to know which of them to touch, he wondered? But there was no time to stop and think, as he heard footsteps quickly loudening his way. Urgently, he touched the numbers in the sequence, with the first three touched twice. Nothing happened.

The footsteps were getting closer.

He cussed under his breath as he tried again, this time touching the second three twice. Still nothing.

"Who's down here?" came a deep manly voice.

The boy took a deep breath and pressed the first three to the left in sequence, then the three on his right.

A flash of white light split down the wall, revealing it to be a secret doorway. As the security guard tailing him turned the corner, the boy pushed the door opened and threw himself inside.

The wall slammed itself shut.

..

..

The next thing the boy knew, he was in a completely new building with bright white walls and ceiling. He paused to marvel at it all, especially the fact that there was hardly anything there besides the whiteness and the tiled floors. But as he walked onward, he came to an area where a large computer screen was planted on the far wall.

As he approached it, his eyes began to adjust to the brightness. Suddenly, he could see more machines- a super computer box, a crane, and a set of giant glass orbs lined up against the leftmost wall. As he observed them, he could see figures inside them, floating with breathing apparatuses.

The first was of a tall, thin woman in green garb. This person looked the least familiar, and indeed he had never seen the female Agent in his life. So he moved on to the next one, which housed a young girl with bobbed hair and dressed in masculine clothing. Staring at her as she slept, a hint of familiarity graced his brain.

"Haruhi."

He walked to the next orb, and saw that it contained a small blonde-haired boy.

"Hunny-Senpai."

The next orb's inhabitant was a taller male with dark hair. "Mori-Senpai."

As he kept walking, the rest of the lineup became clear to him as well. "Mister Ootori... and that one's his son. Kyoya-Senpai! ….And this one is... Milord!" He couldn't help but let out a smile. It was as though just looking at these people brought back all of his lost memories of them. He chuckled with delight.

But the boy in the next and final orb stopped him in his tracks. It was a boy dressed in nothing more than boxer shorts, whose hair and face mirrored his exactly. He stared at the boy's slumbering face as all thought slipped his mind.

"Kaoru."

As the name escaped his lips, his eyes watered, both in sorrow and relief at the same time.

With a trembling hand, he reached out to the glass, touching it gently with just the tips of his fingers. He still couldn't believe what he was seeing. A boy with his face. His twin. His long-lost brother. His eyes began to mist.

"...You're real..." he muttered weakly. "...You really are..." Overwhelmed with joy, he dropped to his knees and leaned forward, planting his forehead and hands firmly on the glass. He could have sworn he felt his brother's warmth. A small sob escaped his mouth as his cheek nuzzled the glass. "...I knew you were real... I knew it..."

"Yes. You have known all along. That's just the problem."

The boy let out a small gasp and turned around. There, standing right behind him, was a very tall and slim man with long ebony hair. His skin was sickly pale, his garment a deep green, and his gaze very unsettling.

"Wh-who are you?" gulped the boy.

"I am the head of this experiment."

The boy's hairs stood on end. "Experiment? What the hell do you mean by that? What did you do to my brother? My friends?"

"They were never the subject of our study," said the strange man. "You were."

Hikaru's eyes widened. "...Me?"

The strange man explained, "We have been observing your kind for some time now, Hikaru Hitachiin. So many different types, so many unique minds."

"...my... _kind_?"

"I was to run tests to see just how strong a family's bond was. We've tested mothers and their children, aunts and uncles and their neices and nephews... But never before had we tested twins. This is where our study hit a snag; you see, Mister Hitachiin, you are unique in that your memories of your twin brother had somehow overcome our influence."

"I'm... not following you."

"It was I who erased your memories of your friends. By erasing memories, we believed that we would see a change in behavior. Yet here you are, determined as ever to be reunited with the one we had taken from you. It is quite astonishing... and irritating."

Hikaru rubbed his head in a moment of confusion. "...Okay, so let me get this straight: you people took my brother and tried to make me forget about him... Why?"

"We wanted to see how you would act without his presence."

"But why?"

"We were curious."

"...Curious... Curious!" The boy's eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. "You get your kicks from watching people suffer, is that it?"

"No one was meant to suffer, it was simply a test of one's social behavior."

He started to shake with rage. "Okay, I get it now! So I've just proven that my bond with Kaoru is stronger than you expected. So why not let him go?"

"Because," frowned the man who had narrowed his black eyes, "this was not my desired result."

'SCREW YOU AND YOUR DESIRED RESULTS! I want my brother, _and_ my friends, and I WANT THEM. NOW!"

"There is one other method I have not yet tried." The man began to slowly approach the boy, beginning to raise his long pale hand his way.

Fearful, Hikaru backed into Kaoru's orb. "Wha... W-what're you doing?"

"I'm going to cleanse your mind directly. One touch is all I will need."

"No... No! Get away from me!"

He started to run, only to feel a force fall upon him. His legs stopped moving- everything stopped moving, save for his face. "What... What is this? Why can't I move?"

The man was holding out his hand, as though commanding the boy's body to freeze. "Yours is a feeble sort," he said nonchalntly. "We can manipulate you as we please." He pulled his hand back as though he were pulling a string, and slowly the boy moved toward him.

Try as he might, Hikaru could not resist being pulled back toward the stranger. Panic was all he could feel. "No! No, please!" Closer and closer he was pulled. He knew what was coming. "Please, don't do this!" he pleaded. "I don't want to forget! I DON'T WANT TO FOR-..."

The hand closed down on his face, and everything faded to white.

.

**TBC**


	6. Found

.

When Hikaru opened his eyes, he found himself in the hospital's underground parking lot once again. This time, there were no cars to be seen, no guards, just himself and an empty dark hall.

And, nothing looked familiar to him. "...Where am I?" he whispered while his wide eyes darted back and forth in wonder.

"You are underneath a hospital," came a voice from behind.

The boy, startled, turned around to see a tall, pale skinned man with long raven hair and cloacked in deep green garments. The man looked terribly thin, almost inhuman. "Who are you?" he asked in a soft voice.

"I am just a stranger," the Agent replied. "Now allow me to ask you a few questions: Do you remember who you are?"

"I'm... H-Hikaru Hitachiin."

"Correct. And what else do you remember?"

"I... I remember..." The boy paused, clutching the top of his head as though trying to ring out his thoughts. For a moment, his mind was completely blank, but then... "I remember where I live."

"Good. Anything else?"

"Uh... I, uh... I don't remember how I got here."

"One last question, Hikaru: do you know who Kaoru is?"

The boy blinked, confused. "Uh... Hmm..." He tried to think, as hard as he could. _'Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru,'_ the name kept swirling in his head. But for the life of him, he couldn't find a face to match it. He looked to the Agent and frowned, "Sorry. I don't remember a Kaoru."

The Agent cracked a smile.

"Who's Kaoru?"

"It does not matter. What matters is that you must go home. Your parents are probably worried about you."

"Yes... My parents..." The boy got up on his feet, as he was sitting down moments ago. Blinking, he looked left and right. "...Which way is home?"

The tall man pointed forward. "Follow the arrow signs. They will lead you out of this place."

"Okay. Thank you."

The boy began to walk in the direction he was given. The Agent watched, satisfied in this small victory.

A funny feeling crawled into the boy's mind. Why was the name Kaoru so important, he wondered? What difference did it make if he remembered that name? Was it someone he knew? Someone from his past? Why did this funny, fuzzy feeling keep getting stronger.

He stopped in his tracks and turned back to the man, who was now several feet away. He looked like a lost puppy dog.

"Is something wrong?" asked the Agent.

Hikaru shrugged, "I still don't know how I got down here, or who you are. Or why I feel so lost."

"Do not dwell on it. Just go home, you'll feel better once you're there."

"But I... I was looking for something just now, wasn't I?"

The Agent narrowed his black eyes. "Were you?"

"I must have. Otherwise I never would have left my home. Something's... not right." Again, he scratched at his auburn haired head, as though an itch was nagging just beneath the surface.

"Go home, Hikaru," the man urged.

"Right... Home... Home is where I belong."

Hikaru turned back to his path and took a few more steps. With each step, his mind began to wander, though not many thoughts were clear. He could see his mother and fathers' faces alright, plus the front of his mansion, and his twin maids. But then he tried to think of other faces, of fellow classmates, and that's where things got fuzzy. He couldn't remember which school he attended, or with whom. He couldn't even remember if he had any household pets. Or the name of his cheuffer.

He stopped walking again, glaring blankly at the ground. "...Why is my mind so fuzzy? ….I can't think..." In his struggle, his eyes began to water. He felt drained, like a part of his very soul was missing and he was just now beginning to feel the effect. His legs felt wobbly, his chest pained. His breathing quickened slightly as a small panic attack set in. "Come on, Hikaru, get it together," he murmured to himself. "Think. Think! Why was I here? Who was I looking for? ….Why can't I remember?"

As he paused, he forced himself to take slow, deep breaths. He closed his eyes tightly and palmed his forehead as he began to meditate. All the while, the Agent looked on from several feet away, curious.

_'Remember,' _he told himself._ 'Remember...'_

He tried to remember yesterday. Nothing. The day before. Nothing. A week earlier. Nothing. A few months ago. Nothing, all blank pages. It seemed his recent history was all but erased from memory. So he had no choice but to go even further back.

A year ago? No, nothing.

Two years? Still nothing.

Three? Four? Ten? Nope. Still blank pages.

"What happened to my past?" he wondered in a soft voice. "Why is everything so fuzzy now? Why...?"

Anger and frustration came in the form of a small growl, but still he stood in deep thought. He couldn't give up now, there had to be a memory somewhere...

"Come on, Hikaru, keep going. There's gotta be something you remember. Anything..."

Age 5? Blank.

Age 4? Blank.

Age 3? Blank.

Age 2? Blank.

Age 1? Blank.

Twelve months old? Blank.

One month old?

….Nothing.

Gone.

It was all gone.

His heart skipped a heavy beat: _Thu-thump!_

A pit in his stomach began to grow. Something... no, some_one_... was definitely missing from his life. That much was certain, he could feel it in his gut.

So, instead of trying to remember anything, the boy tried a brand new tactic: not thinking at all. He relaxed his muscles, his eyes still closed but not so tightly this time. His breathing slowed almost to a crawl. This was a state in which Hikaru Hitachiin was not familiar with in the slightest, but it was a necessary state. He would empty all thought in his head, and allow his instincts to fill the void.

He listened slosely to his heartbeat._ Thump-thump... Thump-thump... Thump-thump..._ In a slow but steady rhythm it throbbed. It was soothing to him, almost like a lullaby, and for a moment, he almost felt as though he were sleeping, dreaming...

_Thump-thump... Thump-thump... Thump-thump..._

His subconscious took him to a very special place in his past, a place where They, the Agents, could not possibly reach.

..

_**Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.**_

_This was his mother's heartbeat. It was clear as day, and loud enough to ring in his was beside her... No... _Inside_ her._

_He was in the womb._

_And he was not alone._

_A tiny, barely developed hand cupped his own, and he could tell that it didn't belong to him. It belonged to another. A twin. A perfectly identical twin laying beside him, their bodies not yet fully formed yet their minds were already active. They shared a sack together, able to touch each other. To hold each other. And indeed they reached out to each other to embrace in that very moment. _

_It was warm. And welcoming. The very first time in his life when he felt safe... Happy._

..

And then it all came back in a flash:

_A game of hide-and-go seek._

_A bottle of ink spilled onto the floor._

_A lady thief escaping in the night._

_Girls running off in rejection._

_Two large doorways opening to a hurricane of rose petals._

_A girl dressed in boy's clothing catching twin boys off guard._

_Two boys._

_Twins._

_Brothers._

Hikaru's eyes flung open, as he gasped deeply. Then, those eyes narrowed as his body turned around to face the curious Agent once more.

He walked forward slowly, like a puma about to pounce its prey. There was fury in his golden eyes, and venom in his breath as he talked: "I'm not alone... I was never alone... I have a brother. A twin brother. We attend the same high school, we're members of a special club there. ...His name is Kaoru Hitachiin." He stopped in front of the man, staring him in the eye with contained rage.

"And I want him back, you son of a bitch."

The Agent, completely caught off guard by this moment, began to tremble. His black eyes widened, his jaw dropped. How? How did the boy manage to break even this form of amnesia? Where did he go wrong?

"I need more time," he muttered. But his time was up.

_**WHOOSH!**_

The wall behind the Agent cracked open to reveal white light, and a great force pulled him into it like a vaccum. In a flash, the man was gone, leaving Hikaru blinded and stunned as he shielded his eyes with his right arm.

When he dared to uncover his eyes, he could see the white void there, but something- no, some_one_\- was walking through it, and out of it. When he came into view, it was a man very similar to the one he had just talked to- pale skin, green garb- except this one's hair was cleanly cut, and his chin more square shaped. His frame was also a lot fuller than the previous man's, a healthy build. He stopped in front of the boy and glared at him with black eyes.

"...Who are you?" asked the boy in a timid voice.

The man replied in a calm, deep voice. "We have no names."

"..._What_ are you?"

"I am the Engineer of this project. I had been watching my Agents from afar, though I will admit that I have let this particular case go on for far too long. You have my deepest apologies, Mister Hitachiin." He gave the boy a courteous bow.

Hikaru was still very confused by all of this, but he could only shrug and say, "I don't care. I don't really care who you people are or why you're here. I just want my brother back."

"Yes," nodded the Director. "I completely understand. We will return all of the people who have been taken during this assignment, momentarily."

"...What about the other guy?" the boy suddenly asked. "The one who was just here. W-what happened to him?"

"He will be reinstated to a new assignment, after we reevaluate him. Apparently, he believed that the end goal was to sever all familial ties of our subjects. But you need not worry about him now, Mister Hitachiin."

There was a pause between them as the light shrouding the man began to fade.

"...So, that's it? You're just gonna leave?"

"There is one more small matter to attend to. Come closer, allow me to give your mind a much needed cleansing."

The boy jumped back in fright. "No! No, I've had eough mind-wiping for one day!"

"Do not worry. We will restore all of your old memories. But the ones regarding us and our project must be cleansed. We must not let our activities become common knowledge. You understand, do you not?"

Hikaru sighed in defeat. "Whatever. Just promise me one thing: after this, everything goes back to normal."

"I promise you, when you wake up everything will feel like it was all a dream." He gave the boy a warm, welcoming smile.

Hesitant at first, Hikaru gulped and stepped forward, putting his trust in this new stranger. He leaned slightly forward as the man gently placed his long fingered hand on his brow.

The boy was once again clouded in a white hot light, but this time he felt nothing but peace as he closed his eyes and drifted off into another deep sleep.

..

..

Hikaru awoke from a deep dream that following morning. As he yawned and stretched, he felt a void where his younger twin usually laid. Alarmed by this, he looked around the room to see that his beloved twin was missing. "Kaoru?" he called out, but there was no answer. This worried him, and he spoke in a louder, slightly more frantic tone. "Kaoru!?"

Suddenly, he heard a toilet flush from behind the door to their private bathroom. Then as the bathroom door opened, out came his mirror image dressed in nothing more than a pair of boxer shorts. "I'm right here, Hika," purred Kaoru before letting out a tired yawn. "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Oh," Hikaru breathed in relief. "Right. It's morning..."

Kaoru crawled into his side of the bed and pulled the covers over himself. "Have a bad dream?"

"No. Just thought for a second there... Nevermind."

The younger twin smirked and scratched his brother's head as though he were a puppy. "Aww, did my poor brother think I was kidnapped by aliens?" He laughed while Hikaru groaned.

Swatting his brother's hand away, Hikaru made a face. "...Maybe I did have a bad dream just now. I can't remember." The older teen placed a palm over his forehead.

"What's wrong?" frowned his twin. He placed his own hand over Hikaru's brow in concern. "Are you feeling sick?"

"No," replied Hikaru. "...Kaoru, have you ever had a feeling of deja vu?"

"Heh, not recently. Why?"

"Just wondering..." The boy blinked his golden eyes, staring intently at his brother's.

"...Hika? What's wrong?" Kaoru's tone became more fearful.

But Hikaru gave him a smile. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong at all."

**Ring! Ring!** -It was coming from their telephone on the table beside the bed.

Kaoru picked it up. "Hello?" He then turned his head away to avoid getting deafened by his Host King's frantic voice. "Okay, okay, Boss! Calm down! ...Yes... Uh-huh... But Boss, it's a Saturday! …...Yes! …...Go back to sleep, you idiot." He then hung up the phone and sighed.

For reasons unknown even to him, Hikaru felt the urge to grab ahold of his beloved brother, and he being Hikaru could not resist his urges. Kaoru purred as he was taken into Hikaru's arms so suddenly, and giggled as Hikaru's chin nuzzled into his neck. Then he felt his brother's lips press against his cheek. "...Hika... What was that for?"

"I dunno," smiled Hikaru warmly. "I just want to tell you that I love you. That's all."

Though confused by his brother's behavior, Kaoru smiled back and returned the nuzzle. "I love you too, brother. Always."

Hikaru Hitachiin would never again remember how he once lost his brother, felt frantic over losing him for several days, or that his own sanity was put into question. Nor would he remember that he had lost his friends one by one as the mystery unraveled itself. Or that there was a mysterious orgainization of possible inhumans studying and observing human nature under the guise of amnesia. He wouldn't remember any of that.

But he would always remember this moment, the moment when he woke up knowing that he had his brother, assured that he would always have him by his side.

And for that, he was happy.

.

**END**


End file.
